Iranian IRGC commander and regional powerbroker
The United States and Iran have not yet agreed to direct talks, with delegations set to travel to Qatar to discuss an interim framework while Iranian funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei proceed. Washington and Tehran remain at odds over the Hormuz Strait, uranium enrichment, and sanctions, as mediators urge progress within a two-month window.
President Trump has begun flying a $400m Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar but used an older Air Force One during a July NATO trip after officials raised security concerns. The administration has launched a leak probe led by the FBI director and White House chief of staff; The New York Times reporters were subpoenaed as investigators sought sources about the jet's defensive capabilities.
The US president has warned Iran of decimation if it acts on threats to target him, while tensions spike over the Strait of Hormuz. Mediators are pressing for renewed talks as both sides escalate rhetoric amid a fragile truce and international mediation efforts.
Senator Lindsey Graham has died at 71 after a "brief and sudden illness," his office has said. Graham had just returned from a visit to Kyiv and had met President Volodymyr Zelensky. Officials say a preliminary medical examiner found an aortic dissection; South Carolina's governor will appoint a temporary replacement ahead of November's elections.