Iran ”will not send pilgrims to S/Arabia” for Hajj

Iranians will not make the Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia this year after talks failed to break an impasse, an Iranian minister has said. Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister Ali Jannati said the Saudis had played a “destructive” role in negotiations. Saudi Arabia has not commented on Mr Jannati’s remarks. Iranian-Saudi tensions soared earlier this […]

Iranians will not make the Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia this year after talks failed to break an impasse, an Iranian minister has said.
Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister Ali Jannati said the Saudis had played a “destructive” role in negotiations. Saudi Arabia has not commented on Mr Jannati’s remarks.
Iranian-Saudi tensions soared earlier this year after Saudi Arabia executed a dissident Shia cleric.
Last year, more than 460 Iranians were killed in a stampede at the Hajj, which Iran blamed on Saudi “mismanagement”.
Sticking points in the talks centre around the issuing of visas and security arrangements for the Hajj.
Because Saudi Arabia does not have a diplomatic mission in Tehran any longer, it wants Iranian pilgrims to travel to a third country to obtain a visa.