Iran warns United States and signals diplomacy through Quran verses at Khamenei funeral

Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohamad Baqer Qalibaf warned the United States that “the era of unilateral agreements has ended” after a new round of U.S. strikes hit Iranian targets and Tehran bombed a Cypriot‑flagged vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on U.S. bases in Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain, citing retaliation for alleged U.S. air raids on Iranian coastal sites.

At former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s state funeral, Iran used selective Quranic recitations as diplomatic signals. Delegations from Saudi Arabia heard verses evoking the Battle of Badr, while Qatar received verses linked to the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. Pakistan, Turkey, Russia, China and India were each presented with passages emphasizing truth, perseverance and stability, reflecting Tehran’s nuanced messaging toward each country. An Iraqi analyst noted that “the recitations differed according to each country's diplomatic relationship with Iran.”