Aggregator

Buried On The 4th Of July: Mediators Pledge Quiet Between US, Iran To Allow For Ayatollah Khamenei's Funeral

Zero Rss
1 month 1 week ago
Buried On The 4th Of July: Mediators Pledge Quiet Between US, Iran To Allow For Ayatollah Khamenei's Funeral

President Trump by mid-week told reporters that the "denuclearization of Iran is moving along well" and that "very good meetings" are being held in Doha - even though no direct talks have taken place, but only an exchange of messages via mediators. On Wednesday US officials told regional media that no frozen Iranian funds have been released, nor will they be until Iran complies to what's been laid out in the MoU. And so each side continues accusing the other of refusal to conform with agreed-upon terms.

Regardless, the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as Pakistan's foreign ministry also previously released positive assessments of where things stand: "Qatar and Pakistan mediators concluded separate meetings with the US and Iranian negotiators in Doha today, with positive progress made on issues related to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, building on the outcomes of the Lake Lucerne Summit," they said in a joint statement on social media.

Apparently things are going to be 'quiet' heading into the weekend, to allow time for the mass funeral events of slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Crucially the Qatar-Pakistan statement indicated, "The parties agreed to continue discussions over the coming period, with the next meeting to be scheduled at the earliest possible time following the funeral processions of the former Iranian Supreme Leader." Other sources say a diplomatic 'pause' is on for the moment, as is presumably military action.

via AFP

It just so happens that Khamenei, who was targeted and killed at the very opening of Trump's 'Operation Epic Fury' in coordination with Israel, will finally be buried on the 4th of July (or at least that's when the days-long funeral ceremony will start). On the other side of the globe, Americans will at the same time be celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, ironically enough in terms of timing.

Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has meanwhile on Thursday called for a massive turnout at the late Supreme Leader's funeral. He said "the nation's call for vengeance must ring in the ears of the whole world." Iran "is preparing to experience one of the most significant moments in its history," Ghalibaf emphasized.

"I invite all the Iranian people ... to write a glorious page in the history of Islamic Iran through your presence" at the funeral ceremonies starting Saturday, Ghalibaf continued. According to commentary from the NY Times:

The emblem of the funeral, shared by the official planning body, is Mr. Khamenei’s closed fist alongside a slogan: “We must rise.”

The ceremonies will also be an opportunity for the government to demonstrate Iran’s regional influence and transnational religious ties, with plans for large-scale mourning events in Iraq, which also has a large population of Shiite Muslims and is home to Shiite militias backed by Iran.

Officials cited in CBS have said they expect the ceremonies to draw between 15 and 20 million mourners, which would put it at the largest state funeral in the Islamic Republic's history. The government hopes to unify and rally the populace around the burial of a 'martyr' - at a moment American and Israeli officials have held out hope for a crumbling and fragmentation of support for Tehran leadership.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has also urged Iranians to turn out en masse: "Your widespread presence will be a decisive response to the logic of terrorism, violence, and bullying, and a clear message to the world that the Iranian nation stands united and in solidarity in defending its independence and dignity," he said in a statement Thursday. Authorities have declared an official holiday running for three days starting Saturday.

Khamenei's son and successor, the current Ayatollah Mojtaba - said to have been severely wounded and recovering after a US-Israeli airstrike in the opening days of the war - has still not been seen or directly heard from in public. Whether or not he'll attend public funeral events for his father this weekend remains a huge question mark - one which will be closely watched by foreign intelligence agencies. 

Technically, while the funeral events will start Saturday, Khamenei's body won't be buried until Monday following a casket procession through Tehran's most important streets.

The NY Times further has this interesting commentary revealing how unusual it is for Iran to have delayed a state funeral this long:

It is highly unusual in Muslim culture for burial to be delayed for so long after death. That in itself was an indicator of the extraordinary circumstances that Iran faced after Mr. Khamenei’s death, amid weeks of heavy bombardment. Officials have denied rumors that Mr. Khamenei’s body was temporarily buried and have said that it was kept in accordance with religious requirements.

Now, Iran’s government is seeking to present the funeral as a moment of national unity and shared grief, a display of bureaucratic competence and a show of resistance against an outside enemy. The emblem of the funeral, shared by the official planning body, is Mr. Khamenei’s closed fist alongside a slogan: "We must rise."

The ceremonies will also be an opportunity for the government to demonstrate Iran’s regional influence and transnational religious ties, with plans for large-scale mourning events in Iraq, which also has a large population of Shiite Muslims and is home to Shiite militias backed by Iran.

Government representatives from some 30 countries are expected to be in attendance. Most important among these will be Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. "The Prime Minister, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, will go to Iran and Turkey from 3-5 July ... he will go to Iran first for (the) supreme leader's funeral," foreign ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi told reporters. One the one hand this could be awkward from Washington's point of view, but Pakistan has also been a key top mediator in peace talks alongside Qatar.

Among other notable attendees will be senior Chinese parliamentary official He Wei – who is the vice chairman the Standing Committee of the National’s People Congress, which is the country's top lawmaking body. India's deputy foreign minister Shri Pabitra and the state governor of Bihar, Syed Ata Hasnain, will also attend, the Indian foreign ministry has indicated.

Iranian officials are strongly warning Israel not to commit any military aggression amid the proceedings, and have also called on Washington to 'muzzle' the Israelis. 

Tyler Durden Thu, 07/02/2026 - 09:40
Tyler Durden

Tesla Reports 480,126 Q2 Deliveries, Crushing Estimates

Zero Rss
1 month 1 week ago
Tesla Reports 480,126 Q2 Deliveries, Crushing Estimates

Tesla delivered a much stronger-than-expected second quarter, reporting 480,126 vehicle deliveries, well ahead of Wall Street forecasts of roughly 406,600. The company also produced 451,758 vehicles during the period, signaling a meaningful improvement after a slow start to the year, according to CNBC.

Shares were volatile on the news and have settled near unchanged into the cash open…

The delivery total marked a sharp increase from 358,023 vehicles in the first quarter and was also significantly higher than the roughly 384,000 deliveries Tesla recorded in the same quarter last year. As has been the case in recent years, the vast majority of deliveries came from the Model 3 and Model Y, which accounted for 467,762 vehicles.

The results provide a boost for Tesla as it looks to regain momentum following consecutive annual declines in vehicle sales. The company has faced growing pressure from intensifying EV competition, the loss of U.S. federal EV tax incentives, and controversy surrounding CEO Elon Musk that has weighed on demand in some markets.

Beyond its automotive business, Tesla’s energy storage segment also posted a strong quarter, deploying 13.5 GWh of battery storage, ahead of analyst expectations of 13.3 GWh and well above the 9.6 GWh deployed in the year-ago period.

Days ago, we pointed out that the market may have been underestimating Tesla’s second-quarter delivery numbers after highlighting a research note from Deutsche Bank that called for a stronger-than-expected quarter. At the time, the firm projected roughly 416,000 deliveries, above the company-compiled consensus and ahead of many estimates on Wall Street.

While Tesla’s actual results ended up blowing even that forecast out of the water, the broader takeaway was the same: expectations appeared too low heading into the report. Deutsche Bank argued that improving international demand, particularly in Europe, was driving a meaningful rebound after a weak first quarter, and the company ultimately delivered an even larger upside surprise than many investors anticipated.

With 480,126 deliveries versus consensus expectations near 406,000, Tesla didn’t just beat estimates, it exceeded them by a massive margin. The results suggest demand was far stronger than the market had priced in and should help ease concerns that had weighed on the stock in recent months.

Whether this marks the beginning of a sustained recovery remains to be seen, but for now, Tesla has delivered one of the biggest positive surprises of the earnings season…

Tyler Durden Thu, 07/02/2026 - 09:30
Tyler Durden

Egg Producers Reach State And Federal Settlement Over Price-Fixing Allegations

Zero Rss
1 month 1 week ago
Egg Producers Reach State And Federal Settlement Over Price-Fixing Allegations

Authored by Bryan Hyde via American Greatness,

Three major egg producers have reached a $3.3 million settlement to resolve allegations of price fixing after being sued by the Justice Department (DOJ) and 17 U.S. states’ Attorneys General.

Just the News reports that the complaint—filed in Iowa’s Northern District Court—contends that the defendants conspired to artificially inflate the daily price quotations of market reporting company Urner Barry Publications.

According to the DOJ Office of Public Affairs, a civil lawsuit was filed against Cal-Maine Foods Inc. (Cal-Maine); Hickman’s Egg Ranch Inc. (Hickman’s); and Centrum Valley Holdings LLC, Versova Holdings LLC, and Versova Management Cooperative (Versova) for unlawful coordinated manipulation of egg prices.

The Attorneys General of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Wisconsin joined the Department in the complaint and proposed settlements.

“No product more quintessentially represents affordability than the price Americans pay for eggs,” said @ASGWoodward. “These actions prove this Department’s continued commitment to protecting competition and providing real relief for everyday Americans’ pocketbooks.” https://t.co/BU8Hm5Q9HF

— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) June 30, 2026

The DOJ also filed proposed settlements that will, if approved by the court, prevent these companies from engaging in such coordinated manipulation in the future.

According to the complaint, the defendants conspired to inflate Urner Barry’s price quotations by agreeing to: submit a lot of bids, submit bids that were unlikely to result in executed trades, cause several defendants to bid to alert Urner Barry that market participants needed to buy eggs and deliver trades at premium prices.

The defendants, along with other egg producers, also bid to obtain eggs on spot markets, including the Egg Clearinghouse, an exchange that helps determine and establish the market value for eggs and egg products.

In the press release, Former Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division affirmed:

“Food affordability is a top priority of the Antitrust Division. These settlements resolve years of conduct that dragged on Americans’ finances and their everyday lives. I thank and recognize the dedicated work of the Division’s talented staff and state partners.”

Under the terms of the settlement, producers will pay a combined $3.3 million in monetary recovery to the participating states.

Meanwhile, CBS News reports that, in a unique deal, the companies must donate 53 million eggs to food banks and community organizations in the affected states.

The companies are also barred from communicating with competitors about pricing strategies, bids, or market information for five years, according to the DOJ press release.

Tyler Durden Thu, 07/02/2026 - 09:20
Tyler Durden

zero rss