Makana 360 Daily Insights:
📌 Mojtaba Khamenei absent from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral as senior officials attend
Mojtaba Khamenei was absent from the funeral of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while senior Iranian officials and thousands of mourners gathered in Tehran. His absence fueled speculation about his condition following rumors that he had been injured in US-Israel air strikes. President Masoud Pezeshkian and Revolutionary Guards chief Ahmad Vahidi attended the ceremony, which forms part of wider funeral proceedings across Iran and Iraq. The events come amid a fragile ceasefire with Israel, strict security measures, anti-US and anti-Israel chants, and preparations for Khamenei’s burial in Mashhad later in the week.
📌 Moscow says Putin and Trump held a “businesslike” 90-minute July 4 call
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump held a nearly 90-minute July 4 call described by Moscow as businesslike and constructive. Russia said Trump again offered to help end the Ukraine war, while Putin argued for a political settlement and claimed Russian forces were advancing. The call came before a NATO summit in Turkey and amid intensified fighting in Donetsk, where Russia claimed control of Kostyantynivka, a claim Ukraine rejected as disinformation. Zelensky also spoke with Trump, citing a real chance to end the war, while Ukraine continued expanding strikes on Russian oil, fuel, and power infrastructure.
📌 Trump gives a campaign-style July 4 speech on the National Mall for the US 250th anniversary
Donald Trump marked the United States’ 250th anniversary with a July 4 speech on the National Mall that blended patriotic messaging with campaign-style politics. After a nearly two-hour weather delay, he praised American achievements, called for tighter voting rules, warned against communism, and highlighted his administration’s record. The event unfolded amid record heat, thunderstorms, evacuations, heavy security, and criticism over partisanship. A white nationalist group also appeared in Washington, though police reported no violence, while several Democratic-led states and performers distanced themselves from the Freedom 250 events.
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