32.9 C
Karachi
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
- Advertisement -
 

Iran pilgrims to join this year’s Hajj: Saudi Arabia

TOP NEWS

AFP
AFP
Agence France-Presse

RIYADH: Iranian pilgrims will participate in this year’s annual hajj, Saudi Arabia said on Friday, despite ruptured ties between the regional rivals.

For the first time in nearly three decades Iran’s pilgrims — which would have numbered about 60,000 — did not attend last year’s hajj after Riyadh and Tehran failed to agree on security and logistics.

But after talks between the two sides, the Iranians will join this year’s ritual which takes place at the beginning of September.

“The ministry of hajj and the Iranian organisation have completed all the necessary measures to ensure Iranian pilgrims perform hajj 1438 according to the procedures followed by all Muslim countries,” the official Saudi Press Agency said, referring to this year in the Islamic calendar.

The hajj ministry said that the kingdom, home to Islam’s holiest sites, welcomes “all pilgrims from all the different nationalities and backgrounds”.

Saudi media reported in December that the Saudi minister in charge of pilgrimages, Mohammed Bentin, had invited Iran to discuss arrangements for this year’s hajj.

An Iranian delegation visited Saudi Arabia in February for talks with Bentin.

In early March, Iran said there had been progress.

A major issue was compensation for the families of hundreds of people killed in a stampede during the 2015 hajj. Iran says 464 of its citizens died in the disaster. More than 1.8 million faithful took part in last year’s hajj. The pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam and all Muslims who can must perform it at least once in their lives.

Iranian pilgrims have for the past two years not attended the Umrah.

Despite agreement on the hajj, Riyadh maintains its criticism of Iran, as highlighted in talks on Tuesday between Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and US President Donald Trump.

The two leaders “noted the importance of confronting Iran’s destabilising regional activities”, the White House said.

 

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
 

POLL

Will the PML-N led govt be able to steer Pakistan out of economic crisis?

- Advertisement -
 

MORE STORIES