Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gesture during a joint media stake out at the Vahdettin Mansion in Istanbul on July 4, 2026. (Photo courtesy: Turkish Presidency)
This live blog follows the latest developments across the Middle East crisis, including regional diplomacy, maritime security, ceasefire negotiations, and economic fallout.
Catch up: Yesterday’s top developments
Lebanese president urges US to 'keep standing' by country
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Saturday urged the United States to stand by his country after a recent US-backed framework deal with Israel aiming to permanently end hostilities after the latest Israel-Hezbollah war.
In a congratulatory message to President Donald Trump marking the United States' 250th anniversary of independence, Aoun urged Washington to "keep always standing beside Lebanon's right and just causes, its institutions, army and people".
Aoun expressed hope that Lebanon could "turn the page on wars... and open a new page of hope, peace and stability".
Erdogan praises Pakistan's Islamabad MoU efforts
Published: July 4, 2026 | 16:05 GMT | by Web Desk
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday congratulated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the people of Pakistan for their role in advancing the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, saying their "invaluable efforts played a major role in achieving this outcome."
Addressing a joint press stakeout in Istanbul, Erdogan reaffirmed Türkiye's support for diplomacy, saying, "We too have supported and continue to support every step that will help to reduce tensions in our region and resolve issues through diplomatic means."
He also slammed Israel for fueling regional instability, saying the "war-addicted Israeli government" must not be allowed to "once again engulf our region in the smell of gunpowder and blood."
PM Sharif thanked Türkiye for its "strong and steadfast support" for Pakistan's peace efforts, saying they had "culminated in the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding," while reaffirming with Erdogan that "dialogue, diplomacy and mutual respect remain the only sustainable path" to resolving disputes.
Hormuz not a theater for military display by 'extra-regional powers', says Iran's deputy FM
Published: July 4, 2026 | 09:25 GMT | by Web Desk
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi has said that the Strait of Hormuz is not a theater for the military display of extra-regional powers.
In a post on X on Saturday, he said, "Iran, as the responsible power and guarantor of the Strait's security, warns with sensitivity to any military movement in this waterway."
"The security of Hormuz lies with the coastal states; the crisis-makers will be held accountable for the consequences of their adventurism; this is a serious warning," he wrote.
Late supreme leader's wisdom will be remembered for generations: Pakistan PM
Published: July 4, 2026 | 07:35 GMT | by Web Desk
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his tribute to the assassinated Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei, said, “The late Supreme Leader’s wisdom, leadership and profound influence on Iran and the wider region will be remembered for generations.”
In a post on X on Saturday, he said, “Paid my respects and conveyed deepest condolences on behalf of the Government and people of Pakistan, to the Government and brotherly people of Iran at the funeral ceremony of the late Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Shaheed Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei.”
“To demonstrate our solidarity with the Iranian people, I was accompanied by a high powered delegation including DPM Ishaq Dar, CDF & COAS Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, senior Parliamentarians, including Chairman Pakistan People's Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, as well as senior Ministers and government officials,” he wrote.
“As a brotherly neighbor, Pakistan stands with Iran in this time of grief,” Sharif wrote.
Millions travelling to Tehran to honor assassinated supreme leader: State media
Published: July 4, 2026 | 06:35 GMT | by Web Desk
"Millions of Iranians" are travelling to Tehran's Grand Mosalla to pay their final respects to the assassinated Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to state-run Press TV.
France deploys mine countermeasure assets to Middle East, says Macron
Published: July 4, 2026 | 05:05 GMT | by Web Desk
French President Emmanuel Macron has said the country has "deployed mine countermeasures assets to the Middle East, including two minehunters in particular."
"Accompanied by two frigates and a maritime patrol aircraft, these assets are ready to contribute, alongside our partners, to the full resumption of navigation and to ensure the safety of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz," he wrote in a post on X on Saturday.
Huge crowds gather as Khamenei funeral ceremonies begin in Iran
Published: July 4, 2026 | 04:05 GMT | by AFP
Funeral ceremonies for Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei officially began on Saturday, state television reported, an event drawing thousands.
Iranian authorities say they anticipate between 15 and 20 million participants in Tehran alone over the next three days for tributes to the man who served the country as the supreme leader for three-and-a-half decades.
Six days of funeral ceremonies are planned to commemorate Khamenei, who served as the supreme leader from 1989 until his assassination on Feb. 28 in a US-Israeli strike.
Thousands of mourners gathered in the courtyard of Tehran's vast Grand Mosalla religious complex waiting for the arrival of Khamenei's coffin, an AFP journalist witnessed.
Another AFP journalist saw mourners walking several kilometers to reach the venue.
Hundreds of supporters of the Islamic republic were already waiting on Friday evening outside the Grand Mosalla.
"We want to say a final goodbye to our leader, which is why waiting like this isn't painful or difficult for us," Somayye Hamedi told AFP as she waited.
Significant security measures have been imposed, with roads blocked and airspace expected to be closed for what is set to be the largest-scale public event in Iran since the burial of Khamenei's predecessor Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989.
Crowds enter Khamenei's funeral venue ahead of processions: AFP journalist
Published: July 4, 2026 | 01:59 GMT | by AFP
Thousands of mourners entered Tehran's Grand Mosalla on Saturday for the funeral ceremonies of Iran's late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, AFP journalists witnessed, ahead of its official start.
The main courtyard of the vast complex was filled with people as authorities imposed extensive traffic restrictions across the capital. Another AFP journalist saw mourners walking several kilometers to reach the venue.
France, UK ready to deploy militaries to support transit in Strait of Hormuz
Published: July 3, 2026 | 23:00 GMT | by Web Desk
France and the United Kingdom are ready to deploy a multinational military mission to support the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Starmer said in a joint statement on Friday.
“The Strait of Hormuz is a vital artery for the global economy. Restoring safe transit for ships of all nations through the Strait is a matter of global concern,” the statement read.
PM Sharif, CDF Munir attend Iran's late supreme leader’s funeral ceremony
Published: July 3, 2026 | 12:01 GMT | by Web Desk
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid his respects at the coffin of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Friday.
He was accompanied by Chief of Defense Forces Asim Munir, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, among other officials.
For earlier developments, read our July 3 live blog here
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