Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman denied rumors that Iranians will be again barred from making Hajj pilgrimage in the next summer, saying the final decision remains to be made after a possible invitation from Saudi Arabia and subsequent talks.
Reports say Saudi Arabia has invited Iran to discuss the resumption of Hajj pilgrimages by Iranians, a process that has been halted over a litany of Hajj-time disasters and moves by Riyadh impeding the performance of the Islamic ritual by Iranians.
Saudi Arabia’s refusal to apologize for the deaths of thousands of pilgrims in a deadly crush of people in last year’s Hajj or its failure to identify those at fault raises doubts about involvement of government officials in the incident, top Iranian official Ali Shamkhani said.
Spokesman for the Iranian administration expressed the cabinet’s determination to relieve the pains of those who lost their loved ones in a fatal crush of pilgrims in Saudi Arabia during last year’s Hajj.
Iran’s interests section in Egypt denied reports on a religious fatwa attributed to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei alleging that Iranians could go on pilgrimage to Iraq’s holy Shiite shrines, as in Karbala, instead of Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
An Iranian official says the Islamic Republic will not give up pursuing the rights of the victims of a deadly crush during last year’s Hajj rituals in Mina, near the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, until justice is achieved.
A mourning ceremony was held in Behesht-e Zahra Cemetry in southern Tehran on Thursday in commemoration of the victims of the last year's deadly crush of people in Saudi Arabia's Mina, which led to the death of more than 7,000 people, including 465 Iranians.
Documents recently leaked from Saudi Arabia's Health Ministry disclosed that over 90,000 pilgrims have lost their lives during the Hajj rituals in Mecca over the past 14 years.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei slammed human rights organizations and other countries for choosing to remain silent over the deaths of pilgrims during last year’s Hajj rituals in Saudi Arabia
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani underscored on Wednesday that his administration will press ahead with legal and political measures to restore the country’s rights in connection with a fatal crush of Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia that killed hundreds of Iranians last year.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry took a swipe at Saudi Arabia’s crown prince for accusing the Islamic Republic of politicizing the Hajj pilgrimage, slamming the recurring allegations as an attempt to whitewash Riyadh’s failure to ensure the security of pilgrims.
Saudi Arabia's controversial contract with an Israeli company for providing pilgrims with electronic bracelets in this year's Hajj has sparked protests in the Muslim world.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution strongly slammed “murderous” Saudi rulers for refusing to allow an international probe into last year’s deadly Mina crush, urging Muslims to “correctly understand their (Saudis’) blasphemous, faithless, dependent and materialistic nature".
A delegation from Iran’s Foreign Ministry will go to France as part of legal efforts to restore the rights of the Iranians who died in a tragic crush of pilgrims in Saudi Arabia’s Mina last year, an Iranian officials announced, describing France as playing the role of a mediator.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi assured the families of victims of last year’s deadly crush in Saudi Arabia’s Mina that the ministry is striving to restore the rights of the families through political and legal channels.
Head of Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization Saeed Ohadi deplored Saudi Arabia’s failure to ensure security of the Hajj pilgrims, saying the recurrence of Hajj-related incidents in the kingdom is a warning to all Muslims.
Head of Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization Saeed Ohadi dismissed as a “pure lie” a recent claim by Saudi ambassadors to Islamic countries that a deal proposed to Iran on this year’s Hajj pilgrimage was not different from those offered to other Muslim states.
The cancellation of the Hajj pilgrimage for Iranians this year was a big story across Iranian media on Monday May 30. Most headlines put the blame on Saudi Arabia, while only one of them blamed the protesters who attacked the Saudi embassy and increased bilateral diplomatic tension.
Iranians have no chance of making a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj any more, Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization announced on Sunday May 29, placing the blame squarely on Saudi officials for “continued obstructionism” and politicizing the religious ritual.
On Sunday May 29, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ali Jannati said that Iranians cannot make their Hajj pilgrimage this year, due to the obstacles created by Saudi Arabian officials.
