Iran holds funeral procession for Khamenei as Tehran closes airspace
Iran began the main public funeral procession for slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Monday, with thousands of mourners gathering in the capital as authorities suspended air traffic over the city during the ceremonies.
Iran's Tasnim and ISNA news agencies reported that Khamenei's body was carried through Tehran in the early hours of Monday as part of a series of funeral rites that began on Friday and will continue through July 9.
Khamenei was killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran on Feb. 28, an event that triggered weeks of war and heightened regional tensions.
Funeral schedule
The funeral ceremonies officially opened on Friday with tributes from foreign leaders and official delegations from across the region and beyond.
Following Monday's public procession in Tehran, the funeral rites are scheduled to move to Qom on July 7.
On July 8, ceremonies will be held in Baghdad, Najaf and Karbala, where religious and political leaders are expected to receive the body before it is transferred to major Shia shrines.
The final funeral and burial ceremony is scheduled for July 9 at the Imam Reza Shrine, one of Iran's most important Shia holy sites.
As part of the funeral arrangements, Iranian authorities closed Tehran's airspace on Monday, suspending operations at both Mehrabad International Airport and Imam Khomeini International Airport during the main public ceremonies.
According to the Civil Aviation Organization's schedule, flights across the rest of the country continued without restrictions on Sunday and are expected to operate normally on July 7 and 8.
Mehrabad International Airport is scheduled to resume normal operations on Tuesday, while Imam Khomeini International Airport will remain closed.
Authorities also announced that airspace over the northeastern city of Mashhad and operations at Shahid Hasheminejad International Airport will be fully suspended on July 9 during the final burial ceremony.
Source:AA
