Iranians Set to Miss Hajj This Year, First Time in Three Decades

After two rounds of negotiations, Iran and Saudi Arabia could not reach to an agreement on security concerns.

People at the Grand Mosque during Hajj. (Photo: Reuters)

Iranian pilgrims may miss this year’s hajj as Saudi Arabia, custodian of Islam’s holiest sites, was raised obstacles and “blocked the path to Allah,”. Authorities in Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh said Iran’s hajj demands were “unacceptable”.

The Iranian Hajj Organisation said: “Saudi Arabia is opposing the absolute right of Iranians to go on the hajj and is blocking the path leading to Allah.”

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The Saudi side had failed to respond to Iranian demands over “the security and respect” of its pilgrims to Mecca, of whom 60,000 took part in last year’s hajj, the organisation said.

Two series of negotiations between the governments of the nations, in September Iran’s Culture Minister Ali Jannati had said that the Iranians won;t be able to attend this year’s hajj.

This year’s would be the first hajj in almost three decades to take place without the participation of pilgrims from Iran.

Saudi officials have said an Iranian delegation ended a visit to the kingdom on Friday without reaching final agreement on arrangements for pilgrims from the Islamic republic.

Riyadh’s hajj ministry said it had offered “many solutions” to meet a string of demands made by the Iranians in two days of talks.

(With PTI inputs)