Revamped Iranian Leadership Wary Ahead of US Peace Talks
Some hardline factions in Tehran want to continue the war. Others see the Islamabad meeting as an opportunity to refashion relations with Washington.
Mourners at a ceremony marking the 40th day since the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, on April 9.
Photographer: Vahid Salemi/AP PhotoAcross Iran, the government has used the pause in bombardments provided by the two-week ceasefire with the US and Israel, to stage long-awaited public mourning rituals for its slain Supreme Leader — Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The killing of Khamenei by an Israeli airstrike on Feb. 28 was the opening salvo in a war that’s likely to bring dramatic long-term geopolitical changes to the Persian Gulf. US-Israeli airstrikes have killed more than 3,000 people in Iran, according to the authorities, and brought significant damage to infrastructure. Retaliatory strikes by Tehran have stretched from Israel to Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates leaving scores dead and shattering the Gulf states reputation for safety and security.