Iran pilgrims to join hajj: Saudi
Iranian pilgrims will participate in this year's annual hajj, Saudi Arabia said yesterday, 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.
Tensions remain as Saudi Arabia repeatedly accuses Iran of fuelling conflicts by supporting armed Shia movements in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Bahrain.
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.
Iran rejects accusations of regional aggression and says Riyadh must stop its alleged support for Sunni "terrorists" like the Islamic State jihadist group and al-Qaeda.
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 lesser pilgrimage to Makkah and Medina in western Saudi Arabia, known as umrah, which occurs outside hajj.
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