Saudis Submit to Tehran’s Demands:
Iranian Pilgrims to Attend Hajj
TEHRAN (Dispatches) -- Iran's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization said on Friday Iranians will be attending this year’s Hajj after Saudi officials agreed to make the necessary arrangements for pilgrims to participate in the rituals.
In a statement, the organization said an agreement had been reached with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umra on the dispatch of more than 85,000 Iranian pilgrims to Hajj this year.
The agreement took into account Leader of the Islamic Revolution Seyyed Ali Khamenei’s emphasis on the need to guarantee the security, dignity and honor of Iranian pilgrims and provide for consular, medical and other crucial services to Iranian pilgrims, it said.
Saudi Arabia’s official SPA news agency also reported that the kingdom had completed all necessary arrangements for Iranian pilgrims to attend the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
The report said the arrangements were finalized after a meeting took place with an Iranian delegation on February 23.
A major issue was compensation for the families of hundreds of people killed in a stampede during the September 2015 Hajj. Iran says 464 of its citizens died in the disaster.
Earlier that month, a massive construction crane had collapsed into Mecca’s Grand Mosque, killing more than 100 pilgrims, including 11 Iranians, and injuring over 200 others, among them 32 Iranian nationals.
Tehran suspended its umrah participation over the sexual assault of two Iranian teenage boy pilgrims by Saudi police at Jeddah airport in early 2015.
In a statement, the organization said an agreement had been reached with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umra on the dispatch of more than 85,000 Iranian pilgrims to Hajj this year.
The agreement took into account Leader of the Islamic Revolution Seyyed Ali Khamenei’s emphasis on the need to guarantee the security, dignity and honor of Iranian pilgrims and provide for consular, medical and other crucial services to Iranian pilgrims, it said.
Saudi Arabia’s official SPA news agency also reported that the kingdom had completed all necessary arrangements for Iranian pilgrims to attend the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
The report said the arrangements were finalized after a meeting took place with an Iranian delegation on February 23.
A major issue was compensation for the families of hundreds of people killed in a stampede during the September 2015 Hajj. Iran says 464 of its citizens died in the disaster.
Earlier that month, a massive construction crane had collapsed into Mecca’s Grand Mosque, killing more than 100 pilgrims, including 11 Iranians, and injuring over 200 others, among them 32 Iranian nationals.
Tehran suspended its umrah participation over the sexual assault of two Iranian teenage boy pilgrims by Saudi police at Jeddah airport in early 2015.