Iran says U.S. will not be allowed to interfere in Strait of Hormuz

Haaretz
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Iran says U.S. will not be allowed to interfere in Strait of Hormuz

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July 03, 2026

July 03, 2026

IDF says Hamas commander involved in Oct. 7 abduction of captives killed in Gaza strike

The Israeli army and the Shin Bet security agency said they killed Hamas commander Muhammad Na'im Jandiya in an airstrike in northern Gaza on Wednesday.

According to a joint statement on Friday, Jandiya served as head of military security in Hamas' Shuja'iyya Battalion and took part in the October 7 attack on Kibbutz Nahal Oz.

🔴ELIMINATED: Muhammad Na’im Jandiya, the Head of Military Security in Hamas’ Shuja'iyya Battalion.

During the October 7 Massacre, Jandiya served as the commander of a Nukhba terrorist cell that infiltrated Kibbutz Nahal Oz and took part in the abduction of the late Captain

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The IDF said in a statement that Jandiya "was responsible for the abduction of Capt. Daniel Perez and for holding Yotam Haim, Samer Fuad El-Talalka and Alon Shamriz in Hamas captivity," adding that he "continued to direct attacks against Israeli forces in Gaza" and was "one of the prominent masked operatives who took part in Hamas' hostage release ceremonies conducted as part of hostage release deals."

Jerusalem man charged with spying for Iran, including filming key city sites

An indictment has been filed against a Jerusalem resident on charges of contact with a foreign agent and transferring information to an enemy, Israeli prosecutors said on Friday.

According to the indictment, 21-year-old Eli Loven allegedly maintained contact with individuals operating on behalf of Iranian intelligence at the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026, and carried out a series of tasks under their direction.

A woman walks towards a central bus depot in Jerusalem. Credit: Noam Revkin-Fenton
A woman walks towards a central bus depot in Jerusalem. Credit: Noam Revkin-Fenton

He is accused of photographing Jerusalem's central bus station, documenting a building in the Bukharim neighborhood, and placing a cigarette box inside a city mall containing a note reading "the work is done," in what prosecutors described as part of operational instructions.

Prosecutors said Loven received around 4,200 shekels ($1,400) for the alleged activities.

Iran parliament speaker says U.S. will not be allowed to interfere in Strait of Hormuz

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf said Iran will not allow the United States to interfere in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Fars news agency.

Boats anchored off Oman's northern Musandam Peninsula near the Strait of Hormuz, last week. Credit: AFP
Boats anchored off Oman's northern Musandam Peninsula near the Strait of Hormuz, last week. Credit: AFP

Ghalibaf also said Iran has reached an agreement with the Sultanate of Oman on a mechanism to regulate shipping through the strategic waterway, in line with Article 5 of a memorandum of understanding.

Eight Palestinians arrested in West Bank village by IDF

Eight Palestinians were arrested on Thursday in the village of Mukhmas, northeast of Jerusalem, in an operation by the Israeli army and Shin Bet security agency, according to an IDF statement on Friday.

The detainees are "suspected of chasing and assaulting the Israeli civilians who entered the area" on Thursday.

Iran displays late Supreme Leader Khamenei's coffin and family's caskets ahead of state funeral

Iran has begun displaying the coffins of slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several of his family members at a Tehran mosque ahead of mass funeral ceremonies planned across the country, as authorities move to project unity and mobilise large public turnout following his killing in the U.S.-Israeli war.

State media images from the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla on Friday showed five flag-draped coffins, including Khamenei, his son-in-law Mesbah-ol-Hoda Bagheri, his eldest daughter Seyyedeh Boshra Hosseini Khamenei, his daughter-in-law Zahra Haddad Adel, and his 14-month-old granddaughter Zahra Mohammadi Golpaygani. A baby-sized coffin was placed beside a photograph of the infant, according to Iranian reports.

The display comes as Iranian officials prepare multi-day funeral processions in Tehran, Qom, Mashhad and other cities, with President Masoud Pezeshkian urging citizens to attend "in large numbers." Authorities have framed the ceremonies as a demonstration of national resolve, while senior military figures warned the United States and Israel against carrying out any attacks during the events.

A central uncertainty is whether Mojtaba Khamenei, the new supreme leader and son of the late Khamenei, will make his first public appearance since the war began. He has not been seen in public since being wounded in the strike that killed his father, and has only issued written statements, fueling speculation over both his condition and the succession process.

Five coffins on display at Tehran's Grand Mosalla mosque on Friday. Credit: Mohammed Salem/Reuters
Five coffins on display at Tehran's Grand Mosalla mosque on Friday. Credit: Mohammed Salem/Reuters

Tensions remain elevated across the region in parallel with the funeral preparations. Iran has renewed warnings over shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States has increased its military presence in the Middle East. Diplomatic contacts between Tehran and Washington remain suspended as Iran enters a period of state mourning.

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Seven convicted over Golden Gate Bridge pro-Palestinian protest blocking traffic

Seven pro-Palestinian protesters were convicted by a San Francisco jury on multiple misdemeanor charges for blocking traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge during a 2024 demonstration against Israel's war in Gaza.

Golden Gate Bridge trial defendants are greeted by supporters after the verdict in the trial for 2024 Golden Gate Bridge protesters demanding a cease-fire in Gaza, in San Francisco on Thursday. Credit: Lea Suzuki/AP
Golden Gate Bridge trial defendants are greeted by supporters after the verdict in the trial for 2024 Golden Gate Bridge protesters demanding a cease-fire in Gaza, in San Francisco on Thursday. Credit: Lea Suzuki/AP

The protesters were found guilty of six misdemeanor counts each, including false imprisonment, obstruction of a thoroughfare and unlawful assembly. One defendant was also convicted of refusing to disperse. The jury, however, deadlocked on the more serious felony conspiracy charge, and prosecutors said they are considering their next steps.

The demonstration shut down traffic on the bridge for about four hours. Prosecutors argued it created a public safety risk, while defense attorneys said the protest was a response to the devastation in Gaza and U.S. support for Israel after other forms of advocacy had failed.

Defendants, attorneys and supporters gather outside the San Francisco Superior Court after the trial for 2024 Golden Gate Bridge protesters demanding a Gaza cease-fire, in San Francisco on Thursday. Credit: Lea Suzuki/AP
Defendants, attorneys and supporters gather outside the San Francisco Superior Court after the trial for 2024 Golden Gate Bridge protesters demanding a Gaza cease-fire, in San Francisco on Thursday. Credit: Lea Suzuki/AP

The seven defendants are due to be sentenced in August and face up to five years in county jail.

Two men sentenced in U.K. over stabbing of Iran International journalist

Two Romanian nationals were sentenced by British counterterrorism police on Friday after being convicted of carrying out what prosecutors said was a knife attack on an Iran International journalist on behalf of the Iranian state.

Nandito Badea, 21, and George Stana, 25, were found guilty last month of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm over the March 2024 stabbing of Pouria Zeraati outside his home in Wimbledon, southwest London.

Nandito Badea and George Stana, two Romanian men accused of stabbing the Iran International journalist Pouria Zeraati near his home in Wimbledon in March 2024, appear at Woolwich Crown Court in London, Britain, May, in a courtroom sketch. Credit: Julia Quenzler/REUTERS
Nandito Badea and George Stana, two Romanian men accused of stabbing the Iran International journalist Pouria Zeraati near his home in Wimbledon in March 2024, appear at Woolwich Crown Court in London, Britain, May, in a courtroom sketch. Credit: Julia Quenzler/REUTERS

Prosecutors said the attack was carefully planned, preceded by surveillance and ordered by a third party acting on behalf of Iran. Zeraati, a prominent presenter for the Persian-language broadcaster Iran International, was stabbed three times in the thigh but survived.

According to police, the attack was part of a broader pattern of Iranian-linked activity in the U.K., where authorities say they have disrupted 20 Iran-linked plots since 2022.

Trump hails 'denuking of Iran,' claims Tehran has agreed to all U.S. demands

U.S. President Donald Trump described his administration's military campaign against Tehran as "the denuking of Iran" rather than a war, while questioning how Jewish Americans could vote for the Democratic Party given his record on Israel.

Speaking in an interview with CNBC aired on Thursday, Trump asserted that he has "been the best president in the history of Israel." Turning his focus to domestic politics, he added, "how a Jewish person can vote for a Democrat is beyond me."

Addressing the regional conflict, Trump insisted that preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear capabilities remains his primary objective. "This is not a war per se. This is the denuking of Iran," Trump said. "You can't let them have a nuclear weapon."

The president claimed that U.S. military operations over the past four months have left Iran "totally defeated militarily," reporting that American strikes have dismantled its navy, air force, and radar systems. Despite the hostilities, Trump indicated that diplomatic progress is being made, stating, "I think they've agreed to just about everything we need."

Trump also outlined a post-conflict economic plan to leverage Iran's depleted financial state, which he claimed includes 300% inflation resulting from a U.S. naval blockade. According to Trump, the U.S. intends to use seized or negotiated funds to purchase agricultural commodities for the country. "We're going to take some of the money, and we're going to buy them. They need food," Trump told CNBC. He specified that Iran "needs corn, and wheat, and soybeans," and vowed to "have exclusively our American farmers provide that."

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