Iran announces tributes for Ali Khamenei amid rising US tensions

Iran has announced a series of commemorative services to honor the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, marking the 40th day since his funeral rites. The scheduled tributes will begin on August 18 at the Imam Khomeini prayer hall in Tehran, continuing on August 19 at the Fatimah Masoumeh shrine in Qom, and concluding on August 20 at the Razavi shrine in Mashhad.

Amidst these commemorations, military tensions between Iran and the United States have escalated. Iranian Army Commander-in-Chief Amir Hatami announced that a $30,000 reward will be offered to any individual who captures or eliminates U.S. military personnel. This follows rhetoric from U.S. President Donald Trump, who claimed that after defeating Iran, the United States would declare the Strait of Hormuz as U.S. territory.

Tehran has rejected these claims, with officials asserting that the Strait of Hormuz remains and will remain under Iranian control. The Iranian Joint Staff has issued a warning to the United States, stating they will not retreat until the defeat of what they term the “American-Zionist enemy” in the region.