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Conditions unfit for Iranian pilgrims to attend Hajj ceremony in Saudi Arabia: official

Xinhua, May 12, 2016 Adjust font size:

Iran's culture minister said Thursday that conditions are not prepared for Iranians to attend the annual Muslim Hajj ceremony to be held in Saudi Arabia's Mecca, official IRNA news agency reported.

"Time is tight and it is too late" for further talks with Saudi officials to reach an agreement over sending Iranian pilgrims to the Hajj ceremony scheduled for September, said Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ali Jannati.

Negotiations with Saudi officials on the issue started four months ago, but "they obstructed the progress," the minister was quoted as saying.

Iranian pilgrims have to apply for a visa of Saudi Arabia from a third country, which means that Iranians will miss the ceremony this year, he said.

Iran and Saudi Arabia are currently locked in a diplomatic row over Syria and Yemen issues, as well as Sunni-majority Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric, along with 46 others over terror charges, in January.

The executions sent large number of Iranians onto the street, and some of them stormed Saudi diplomatic missions in capital Tehran and the northeastern city of Mashhad.

Later, Riyadh cut its diplomatic ties with Tehran over the attacks, and many of Gulf state countries either followed suit or downgraded their relations with Iran. Endit