Tehran Airspace To Close On Monday For Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Funeral Procession

KUALA LUMPUR, JULY 2026 – Iran will fully close Tehran’s airspace on Monday as part of security and operational arrangements for the funeral procession of late former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The closure was announced as Iran prepares to hold the main public procession in the capital, following days of official mourning and tribute ceremonies.

According to Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization, normal flights at Mehrabad International Airport and Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran will be suspended on Monday while the public ceremony and funeral procession take place. Flights across the rest of the country continued without restrictions on Sunday.

Mehrabad Airport is expected to resume normal operations on Tuesday, while Imam Khomeini International Airport will remain closed. Authorities also confirmed that national flights will continue without restrictions from July 7 to 8, except in Mashhad on the final day of the funeral ceremonies.

The final stage of the funeral is scheduled for July 9 in Mashhad, northeastern Iran. On that day, airspace over Mashhad and operations at Shahid Hasheminejad International Airport will also be fully suspended as the last burial ceremony is held.

Khamenei was reportedly killed in a joint United States-Israel attack on Iran on February 28, an incident that triggered weeks of war and raised tensions across the region. His death marked a major turning point for Iran, both politically and symbolically, given his position as the country’s former Supreme Leader.

Official funeral events began on Friday, with foreign leaders and official delegations paying their respects to the former Iranian leader. The final public tribute will be followed by the main funeral procession in Tehran on Monday before the ceremonies continue in other religiously significant locations.

Based on the official schedule, the funeral ceremonies will continue in Qom on July 7. On July 8, several ceremonies are planned in Iraq, including in Baghdad, Najaf and Karbala, where the remains will be received by religious figures and political leaders before being taken to major Shia holy sites.

The burial is scheduled to take place on July 9 at the Imam Ali Reza Shrine in Mashhad, one of the holiest locations for Shia Muslims. The choice of Mashhad reflects both the religious and political importance of the funeral, as Iran prepares for one of its most significant state mourning events in recent history.

The temporary airspace closure highlights the scale of preparations surrounding the funeral. With large crowds expected in Tehran and Mashhad, authorities are tightening transport and aviation controls to manage public movement, ceremonial routes and security risks.