US-IRAN WAR: FROM TRUCE TO TALKS

Thousands of Iranians have packed Tehran’s Mosalla Mosque for a second day to bid farewell to their former supreme leader.

Authorities are presenting the funeral ceremonies as both a religious farewell and a demonstration of national unity.

“We came here to tell our martyred leader that his blood is not wasted. We came here to renew our allegiance to him,” mourner Marzieh told Al Jazeera.

Another mourner, Hamid, said the US and Israel aimed to divide Iran but did not achieve their goal.

“They wanted to kill our leaders, ordinary people and commanders to achieve that. But our leader prevented that division. Iranians are here to appreciate what he has done for Iran,” he said.

During a meeting with the head of Hamas’s advisory Shura Council, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has said that “diplomacy should be used to preserve military gains and must be backed by defence capabilities”, Al Jazeera reported, citing Iranian state media IRNA.

The meeting is said to have taken place on the sidelines of funeral ceremonies for Iran’s former supreme leader.

Ghalibaf reportedly said that in negotiations with the US, Iran insisted that the territorial integrity of regional countries and an end to military action against Iran’s allies be included in any agreement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that some Christian villages in southern Lebanon had asked to be annexed by Israel, in order to be protected from Hezbollah.

Iran's top negotiation has said that the implementation of Tehran's MoU with the US was a "difficult but feasible" task, Isna reported on Sunday.

Speaking during a meeting with a Hamas leader, Iran's Parliamentary Speaker Bagher Ghalibaf said that diplomacy and negotiation must "untie the military knot and preserve and consolidate" the achievements of the fighters.

Israel’s military chief visited forces deployed around Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon on Sunday, vowing to push ahead with the campaign against Hezbollah.

"The IDF will continue to operate decisively to remove threats from Lebanese territory and is prepared to transition rapidly to offensive operations should the ceasefire be violated," Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir told soldiers during the visit, according to a statement issued by the military.

Maritime trade between Iran and Qatar has resumed after a roughly five-month suspension, Iran's commercial attache in Doha told state media on Sunday.

Abbas Abdolkhani said shipping between Iran’s Dayyer port and Qatar’s Al Ruwais port had resumed following coordination between the Iranian embassy in Doha and Qatari authorities.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations received a report on Sunday of an incident 30 nautical miles southwest of Yemen's Hodeidah, where a cargo vessel triggered a distress alert stating it was under attack by unknown armed assailants.

Authorities were investigating, and vessels were advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO, the agency said.

Iran's military said it is using the current ceasefire to enhance its combat readiness, warning that any future aggression would trigger a swift and decisive response, Al Jazeera reported.

Brigadier-General Mohammad Akraminia said the pause in hostilities provides an opportunity to further strengthen the country's armed forces.

"We will not waste a single moment or neglect this," he said, adding that any "mistake" by Iran's enemies would be met with a "crushing and decisive response" from the Iranian military.

The remarks come after weeks of conflict in which thousands of US and Israeli air strikes targeted military installations, energy facilities, and civilian infrastructure across Iran.

According to Iranian state media, the attacks, which followed the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28, left more than 3,000 people dead.

Tehran’s metro network has registered more than seven million passenger trips from 5:30pm (local time) on Saturday to 7am (local time) on Sunday, Al Jazeera reported, citing Tasnim News Agency.

The increase in ridership coincides with the funeral for the former supreme leader and members of his family at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla in Tehran, which is scheduled to continue until 8pm (local time).

Tasnim reported that organisers have advised attendees to use the metro system for access to the site.

Tehran metro bus service transits seven million to Imam Khomeini Mosque for Ali Khamenei's funeral

Tehran’s metro network has registered more than seven million passenger trips from 5:30pm (local time) on Saturday to 7am (local time) on Sunday, Al Jazeera reported, citing Tasnim News Agency.

The increase in ridership coincides with the funeral for the former supreme leader and members of his family at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla in Tehran, which is scheduled to continue until 8pm (local time).

Tasnim reported that organisers have advised attendees to use the metro system for access to the site.