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Iran has begun several days of public mourning and funeral processions for its former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, more than four months after he was killed in strikes launched by the US and Israel. The former Ayatollah's body on Fruday (3 July) lay in state at Tehran's Grand Mosque, ahead of his burial in his hometown of Mashhad next Thursday. Iranian authorities said 12 to 20 million people were expected to attend the ceremonies, which are part of what they are calling the "funeral of the century". Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian was among those paying their respects after the coffin was placed at the vast religious complex. There will be an official funeral ceremony in Tehran on Saturday, which the Tehran-based Mohammad Rasulullah Corps is leading, as part of six days of ceremonies. Authorities have ordered public and private offices in Tehran to close from Saturday through Monday, while traffic restrictions will shut down most of the city centre to private vehicles, AFP reported. The airspace over Tehran was partially closed on Friday and will be fully closed on Monday. On Tuesday, events will move to Qom, just south of Tehran, where a senior Shia cleric will lead funeral prayers at Jamkaran - one of Iran's most prominent and symbolic religious sites Khamenei's body will then travel to Najaf in Iraq on Wednesday. Following a procession at the shrine of Imam Ali, Shia Islam's first imam, ceremonies will continue in Karbala before the body returns to Iran. Iranian officials say the Iraq events follow requests from Iraqi groups, with some analysts seeing them as representative of Khamenei's influence across the Shia Muslim world and Iran's religious and political ties across the region. (click image to read more)

The president of the European Commission, Ursual von der Leyen, on Thursday (2 July) made a short visit to the Armenian Capital, Yerevan, during which she met the Armenian leader, Nicol Pashinyan. This was Van der Leyen's second visit to Armenia in as many months. During the visit the President of the European Commission reiterated Europe's support for Pashinyan and his government, following the recent elections: On 7 June, the people of Armenia spoke clearly. They chose democracy. The rule of law. They chose reform and peace. They chose an open, welcoming, and inclusive society. And they chose to partner with the European Union. And together, we must now turn their aspirations into results. You can count on us.  Speaking ata joint press conference after her meeting, Van der Leyen said: "First of all, I want to congratulate you on your electoral victory. These elections have shown, once again, the strength of Armenia's democracy. The spirit of the Velvet Revolution which you led in 2018 is alive and well. Armenia is carrying on the path of democracy, reform, peace, and of a closer partnership with Europe. And I am here to tell you: you can count on us. While Armenia is coming closer to the EU, the South Caucasus is coming closer together. The initialling of the peace agreement last year was a history-making moment. The most consequential step this region has taken in decades. The same goes for the continued normalisation of relations with Türkiye. These decisions required political courage and leadership. And I know their rewards will be immense. Opening borders will transform Armenia's economic future. And it will anchor Armenia at the heart of one of the world's most strategic crossroads. We will stand by you to turn this vision into reality." (click image to read more)

After years of bickering, during which relations reached  "diplomatic lows", Azerbaijan and the European Union appear to have found a common language on how to build relations between them. The president of the European Commission on Wednesday (1 July) visited Baku for meetings with president Ilham Aliyev.. In a key speech, addressing president Aliyev, president Van der Leyen outlined the position of the European Union on various asspects of EU-Azerbaijan relations. "I am here today to deepen a partnership that matters greatly to the European Union. And one that has real momentum, as the President just described. But first, let me turn to the most important development in this region in decades. Peace. Let me congratulate you on initiating an historic peace agreement with Armenia. You showed personal leadership in promoting peace and cooperation across the region. And it is creating new opportunities for stability, trust and shared prosperity. The EU strongly supports this process. And we will continue to do so. Together, we can turn peace on paper into peace in practice. That is why we are working here today together." President Aliyev replied in kind: This is unprecedented dynamism in our relationship, which reflects the mutual will of both sides to intensify our cooperation and to strengthen our partnership. We highly value the relationship with the European Commission, and today, with Madame President and the delegations, we broadly discussed a very impressive agenda. The European Union is Azerbaijan's main trading partner. More than 40% of our trade is with the member states, and for the European Union, Azerbaijan is the main trading partner in the South Caucasus. Almost 70% of trade in the South Caucasus is trade with Azerbaijan." From what Aliyev and Van der Leyen said on 1 July, relations between the two is entering a new, positive, phase. (click picture to read a full report).

​ EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas, accompanied by the EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos and EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner were in Turkiye on Tuesday (30 June). Kallas and her delegation met with Turkish president, Recip Tayib Erdogan, and with Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan. They discussed EU-Türkiye relations in a global perspective, recalling Türkiye’s candidate status and acknowledging the strategic value of Türkiye-EU relations in promoting regional stability and economic resilience in a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape. They reviewed issues of common interest including economic and trade cooperation, connectivity, migration, security and common challenges in foreign and security policy. They reaffirmed the shared determination to take steps that would further enhance the cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship in these areas. The visit comes on the eve of a major NATO summit, which is due to be held in Turkiye 7-8 July, In the meeting with Erdogan, the two sides discussed relations between Turkey and the European Union, regional and international issues, and preparations for the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara. According to Anadolu, the talks were held behind closed doors. Also present on the Turkish side were Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Head of the Communications Directorate of the Presidential Administration Burhanettin Duran, and Presidential Adviser on Foreign Policy and Security Akif Çağatay Kılıç. Kaja Kallas, in turn, commented on her meeting with the Turkish President on social media. "Turkey is a key partner in security, migration, and energy issues, as well as a candidate country for EU membership," Kallas wrote. "It was a pleasure to speak with President Erdoğan today about further strengthening relations between the EU and Turkey, as well as the importance of good neighborly relations," she noted. "We also discussed Russia's war against Ukraine, conflicts in the Middle East, and preparations for the NATO summit in Ankara. Turkey makes a significant contribution to defending NATO's eastern flank," the EU High Representative concluded. ​(click image to read more)