By Parisa Hafezi and Angus McDowall

DUBAI, July 10 - The whereabouts of Mojtaba Khamenei have been a mystery to Iranians and the rest of the world alike since his appointment as supreme leader a week after the strike that killed his father at the end of February.

His absence from the main funeral ceremonies for former leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was so complete there was not even a written message, leaving people to guess at his plans for Iran at a turbulent time in the Islamic Republic's 47-year history.

By El Tayeb Siddig

KHARTOUM, July 10 (Reuters) - In the year since the Sudanese army recaptured the capital Khartoum from a paramilitary force that had seized it at the outset of civil war in 2023, more than 2 million of the 5 millionpeople who fled their homes in the city have returned.

But although the authorities promised a quick restoration of normal life after their military victory, power is still mostly out, buildings remain damaged and workers are going unpaid. Some say they have come back only as a last resort, fleeing a crackdown on refugees in neighbouring Egypt.

ANKARA, July 10 (Reuters) - Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday that Turkey hopes to achieve a result on lifting U.S. sanctions and its desire to purchase F-35 fighter jets soon, adding there should be no defence industry restrictions between allies.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who visited Ankara this week for a NATO Summit, announced on Tuesday that he would lift U.S. sanctions imposed on Turkey over its purchase of Russian S-400 defence missile systems.

July 10 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Friday said the United States had agreed to talks with Iran after Tehran asked to continue negotiations, while stressing that the June ceasefire between the two nations was over.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue 'talks.' We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!" Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

July 10 (Reuters) - A Qatari delegation visited Iran on Friday in what is believed to be an effort by Doha to consolidate its role as a mediator after a recent escalation in hostilities in the Gulf, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

Tasnim said the visit followed what it described as Qatari accusations against Iran over an alleged incident in the Strait of Hormuz and subsequent U.S. attacks on Iranian military and civilian targets.

By Jonathan Saul

LONDON, July 10 (Reuters) - Countries should reject efforts by Iran to impose sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran's "unilateral decision" to create a body to control traffic through the waterway, the U.N. shipping agency's governing council agreed on Friday.

The U.S. and Iran exchanged hostilities this week, including U.S. military airstrikes, prompted by attacks on ships that Washington said Tehran carried out.