Zayn Malik Postpones Tour Because of Liam Payne's Death

Zayn Malik's still reeling from Liam Payne's death ... announcing moments ago he's postponing his "Stairway to the Sky" tour after the "heartbreaking loss" this week.

The singer-songwriter posted a short message to his Instagram story ... telling fans he needs to push off the U.S. leg of his tour -- and, he's rescheduling for January.

ZM says he plans to post the updated dates in the coming days ... and, he's thanking fans for their compassion and understanding during this time.

Zayn's U.S. leg was supposed to kick off next week in San Francisco, followed by shows in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and New York City.

Worth noting ... Zayn only mentions the U.S. tour dates -- not the ones in the UK coming up in mid-November. It's unclear if he plans to perform on those dates.

Ticketmaster and other ticket sellers have already posted notes to their websites that the tour is postponed.

As you know ... Liam Payne died after falling from his third-story hotel room in Argentina Wednesday -- with at least one official saying he "had jumped from the balcony of his room."

All of Liam's bandmates have paid tribute to him in the days following his death ... including Zayn who posted a message saying he'd lost a brother who always spoke his mind -- something Malik says he respected him for.