ALBAWABA - Iran's Civil Aviation Organization announced on Wednesday sweeping restrictions on air traffic in Tehran, coinciding with the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and the suspension of official working hours in the capital.
The head of the organization, Abuzar Shiroudi, said that Mehrabad Airport in central Tehran would be completely closed starting Friday morning, with the exception of diplomatic and political flights. Operations at Imam Khomeini International Airport would continue without restrictions.
He added that the airspace over Tehran would be completely closed to air traffic on Monday, coinciding with the funeral ceremonies, and confirmed that no flights would operate from the capital’s two main airports on that day.
A man rides a motorcycle past a mourning banner depicting Iran's slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a strike on the first day of the US-Israeli war against the Iran on February 28, in Tehran on June 30, 2026 ahead of his public funeral. Photo by - / AFP
Funeral and burial ceremonies are scheduled to take place from Friday, July 4th to Thursday, July 9th in the Iranian cities of Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad, in addition to memorial services in Karbala and Najaf in Iraq.
The Iranian government has also announced that Tuesday will be a public holiday in the capital, Tehran, to facilitate the movement of mourners. Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani stated that Thursday will be a day of national mourning, coinciding with the burial in Mashhad, in northeastern Iran.
Ali Khamenei, the former supreme leader of Iran, was killed on the first day of war on Feb. 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched a preemptive attack on Tehran, killing Iranian officials and military leaders in addition to targeting and destroying major infrastructure and nuclear sites in Tehran.
