Iran: We Have Not Received an Invitation from Saudi Arabia for Hajj Planning

The Iranian Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization denied Saudi Arabia's claim of inviting an Iranian delegation to plan the Hajj rituals, stating that no official invitation has been received from Saudi Arabia. According to ISNA, Mehdi Shahsavari, the director of the organization, added that it is customary for the Saudi Ministry of Hajj to send invitations to Islamic countries for organizing Hajj, but nothing has been received so far. The official Saudi news agency reported that on Thursday, January 9, Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Mohammed Saleh bin Taher Benten, stated that 80 Islamic countries have been invited to organize the Hajj, including Iran. He added, 'Saudi Arabia welcomes all pilgrims from the Islamic world regardless of their gender and religious orientation and provides services to them. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah strives to ensure that pilgrims can perform their Hajj rituals easily and peacefully, offering services for their accommodation and transportation.' Before the Saudi Minister's statements, the head of Iranian pilgrims had reported about a week ago on efforts to prepare for Hajj and Umrah, expressing hope that this time Saudi Arabia would accept Iran's conditions. Reza Salehi Amiri, the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, also spoke last Monday about negotiations with the Foreign Ministry and the Supreme National Security Council to facilitate Hajj and Umrah, emphasizing that Saudi Arabia must meet the conditions set by Ayatollah Khamenei. Hamid Mohammadi, the new head of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, also emphasized that Iran's expectations from Saudi Arabia are the same as those raised last year. He called for guarantees of security, facilitation of services, and no discrimination between Iranian pilgrims and those from other countries, adding that if the Saudis meet these expectations, Iran will also make a decision. Following the Mina incident in October 2015, which resulted in the deaths of 465 Iranian pilgrims, Iran and Saudi Arabia could not reach an agreement on security measures and other issues between the two countries, leading Tehran to refrain from sending Iranian pilgrims to the Hajj. Saudi Arabia stated that 770 people were killed during the Mina incident, but according to the Associated Press count, at least 2,426 people died in the event. Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, criticized Saudi Arabia in a meeting with the families of the deceased Iranian pilgrims, stating that the country was incapable of ensuring the safety of pilgrims and deemed it unworthy of managing the two holy shrines. Iran has also suspended Umrah since late April 2015 following an incident at Jeddah airport where two Iranian teenagers were sexually assaulted. Iran's condition for resuming Umrah was the execution of the maximum penalty for the two negligent Saudi officials and providing guarantees for the safety and dignity of Iranian pilgrims. Last year, following the attack by demonstrators on Saudi diplomatic missions, which led to Saudi Arabia's protest and severing diplomatic relations with Iran, the Hajj pilgrimage was also affected by the political relations between the two countries, and Iran refrained from sending pilgrims for the Hajj.