Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev sent an official message to his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, expressing condolences over the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The message, published on the head of state's website, called the death of Iran's spiritual and political leader a grave loss.
Pilgrims awaiting a flight from Jeddah to Makhachkala were returned to Mecca due to a canceled flight. They are being accommodated in a hotel pending further decisions.
The total number of pilgrims from Dagestan in Saudi Arabia is approximately 700. Further reductions in air traffic and flight cancellations are possible in the coming days, and a meeting is planned to discuss the pilgrims' stay and possible evacuation.
These measures are related to the closure of airspace in the Middle East due to the US and Israeli war against Iran. According to Rosaviatsiya, as of the morning of March 1, 62 canceled flights between the Russian Federation and Middle Eastern countries had been recorded, more than 75% of which were flights to and from the United Arab Emirates.