International

Funeral ceremonies begin in Iran for the death of President Raisí

Iran began on Tuesday the funeral ceremonies by President Ebrahim Raisí and Foreign Minister Hosein Amir Abdolahian, who died on Sunday in a helicopter accident along with seven other people, which will last for several days.

The events began in Tabriz, capital of the northwestern province of Eastern Azerbaijan, the largest city closest to the site of the accident, which occurred in the mountainous area of Varzeqan.

According to Iranian televisions, thousands of people took to the streets of Tabriz to watch the convoy that carries the coffins of eight of the nine who died in the accident pass by, in a procession that left Shohada Square (martyrs) and which was destined for the great Mosala mosque.

The streets of Tabriz were a tide of turbans, the garment worn by the clerics in the Islamic Republic, and photos of Raisí, carried by the attendees at the events.

Shops, schools and government offices in the city are closed, something that has not happened throughout the country, in the second of the five days of mourning decreed by the supreme leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei.

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After the acts of Tabriz, the coffins will be transported this afternoon to the sacred city of Qom, one of the main centers of the predominant Shii Islam in the country, and tomorrow Wednesday it will arrive in Tehran.

In the Iranian capital, foreign authorities are expected to participate in what will be a non-working day throughout the country.

After the capital, an event will be held on Thursday in the city of Birjand, where Raisí was a representative in the Assembly of Experts, the body in charge of electing the supreme leader in case of a vacancy.

Finally, the deceased will be buried on the same day in the sacred city of Mashad (northwest).

The helicopter in which Raisí and his companions were traveling disappeared on Sunday when he was returning from Tabriz along with two other aircraft – which arrived at their destination without problems – in what the official IRNA agency has described as a “technical failure.”

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The American ‘Bell 212’ device acquired in the 1970s was found a day later with the lifeless bodies of its occupants.

The governor of East Azerbaijan, Malik Rahmati, the leader of the Friday prayers of the city of Tabriz, Mohammad-Ali Al-Hashem, also died in the accident, in addition to two pilots of the aircraft, a flight attendant, the presidential security chief and a guard.

Khamenei approved on Monday that the first vice president, Mohamad Mojber, be appointed interim president of the country.

Iran will hold presidential elections on June 28.

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International

Trump orders U.S. control of Strait of Hormuz after failed Iran talks

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the United States will take control of the Strait of Hormuz“effective immediately,” following the collapse of negotiations with Iran held in Islamabad.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had ordered the U.S. Navy to block vessels attempting to enter or exit the strategic waterway, a key route for global energy trade.

“The meeting went well, agreement was reached on most points, but the only really important one — nuclear weapons — was not approved,” Trump said, referring to the talks with Iranian representatives.

The president also stated that he had instructed authorities to intercept ships in international waters that had paid tolls to Iran to transit the strait, calling such payments “illegal.” He further accused Tehran of hindering an agreement by deploying mines in the area, describing the move as “international extortion.”

Trump added that the United States will undertake efforts to clear mines from the strait and expressed confidence that a future agreement ensuring free navigation could eventually be reached.

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The announcement came after Vice President JD Vance and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner briefed the president on the outcome of the negotiations, considered the highest-level contacts between the two countries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

While Trump acknowledged that enough progress had been made to maintain a temporary truce, he criticized Iran for remaining unwilling to abandon its nuclear ambitions, calling its position “very inflexible” on the central issue.

International

Child Found Malnourished in Van in France; Father Admits Confinement

French gendarmes discovered a child in a van in Hagenbach, in northeastern France, after a neighbor reported hearing what she described as “childlike noises” coming from the parked vehicle.

After unlocking the van, officers found the boy lying in a fetal position, unclothed and covered with a blanket, surrounded by garbage and near human waste, according to a statement from the Mulhouse prosecutor, Nicolas Heitz.

Authorities said the child appeared pale and severely malnourished. Due to prolonged confinement in a seated position, he was no longer able to walk. He was immediately taken to a hospital in Mulhouse for medical care.

The boy’s father, who lived with his partner and two daughters aged 10 and 12, admitted to keeping the child confined and depriving him of proper care.

According to the prosecutor, the man said he placed the child in the van in November 2024, claiming he wanted to “protect him” because his partner intended to have the boy admitted to a psychiatric facility.

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The suspect also stated that he allowed the child out of the vehicle in May 2025 and permitted him to enter the family apartment around mid-year, when the rest of the family was on vacation.

The man’s partner—who is not the child’s mother—also faces charges, including failure to report abuse. However, she has denied all accusations.

International

Europe Faces Jet Fuel Shortage Risk Amid Hormuz Disruption

The Airports Council International Europe has warned of a potential “systemic shortage” of jet fuel if maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is not restored within the next three weeks, according to a letter reviewed by AFP on Friday.

In the document, addressed to the European Commission and first reported by the Financial Times, the European airport lobby stated that a “systemic jet fuel shortage will become a reality” in the European Union unless stable and significant transit through the strait resumes soon.

The association, which represents around 600 airports across 50 countries, called on Brussels to implement “urgent monitoring of fuel availability and supply” over the next six months.

Jet fuel prices have surged amid the conflict in the Middle East and the ongoing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy transport.

The conflict escalated on February 28 following joint U.S. and Israeli airstrikes against Iran.

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In response, Tehran imposed several countermeasures, including blocking maritime traffic through the strait, a route through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil, jet fuel, and gas supply passes.