Tehran is planning a state funeral for its former supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.

Iran’s joint military command warned Thursday that all oil tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz must use its approved routes or face a “forceful response,” again ratcheting up tensions over a waterway crucial for international energy supplies.

An uptick in clashes between Iranian security forces and Kurdish rebel groups is threatening to open a new front in the Islamic Republic's conflict with the United States and Israel, testing a fragile ceasefire between Tehran and Washington.

A series of strikes over the weekend saw the US and Iran accuse each other of violating the ceasefire agreement.

By Andrew Mills and Elwely Elwelly DOHA/DUBAI, June 30 (Reuters) - Iran said on Tuesday it would not meet with top U.S. envoys who flew to the region following an outbreak of hostilities, clouding the prospects for a lasting peace between the two countries.

An apparent agreement by the US and Iran to pause a fresh outburst of violence stabilized a truce that is the first step to permanently ending the war and underscored that each side has a vital national interest in doing so.

Chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reports as U.S. and Iran talks progress, with President Donald Trump considering military options to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

President Trump said talks with Iran would resume Tuesday in Qatar, despite the two sides trading attacks in the Gulf over the weekend. Iran did not confirm whether it will participate.

The disagreement over whether the sides would even meet underscored the fragility of a June 17 accord to pause a conflict that has disrupted global oil flows and created a political headache for Trump.

The U.S. president is set on bringing gas prices down and reaching a nuclear deal, but Iran has little incentive to cede its newfound power to control shipping traffic.

By Anushree Mukherjee July 2 (Reuters) - Oil prices fell for a third consecutive day on Thursday as concerns over supply disruptions eased after Qatar said Iran and the U.S. had made progress in talks over the Strait of Hormuz.