Iran's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization: Iranians Present at This Year's Hajj Hold Citizenship of Other Countries

Iranian officials have confirmed reports from Arab media regarding the presence of a number of Iranians at this year's Hajj, stating that these individuals hold "citizenship of other countries" and traveled to Hajj from those nations. Hamid Mohammadi, Deputy of Hajj and Umrah at the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, announced this on Tuesday (September 6) in an interview with Young Journalists Club. Mr. Mohammadi stated that "Iranians present at this year's Hajj hold citizenship of other countries and obtained visas to enter Saudi Arabia through these countries." He added that "in previous years, Iranians residing in other countries were also sent to Hajj in this manner." The newspaper "Al-Watan" reported that approximately 674 Iranians are participating in this year's Hajj, and Saudi Minister of Hajj Mohammed Benten confirmed that "Iranian pilgrims arriving from foreign countries are currently residing in Mecca." Nasser Hovizaavi, Director General of Hajj and Pilgrimage in Khuzestan, also mentioned that "the Iranians referred to by Saudi Arabia may be of Iranian descent who hold citizenship of European and American countries but are originally Iranian." The political tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which peaked after the Mina incident last year, has led to the suspension of Iranian pilgrims for this year's Hajj. In that incident, at least 464 Iranians lost their lives, resulting in a group attack by plainclothes individuals on the Saudi embassy and consulate in Tehran and Mashhad, ultimately severing diplomatic relations between the two countries. Following this incident, Iranian officials accused the Saudi government of "incompetence" and called for the organization of Hajj by entities such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The deterioration in relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia has increased in recent months, with both sides blaming each other for "insecurity and instability" in the region. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, also issued a strongly worded message on the occasion of Hajj, urging Islamic countries not to "let go of Saudi Arabia's collar" and to "think seriously about managing Hajj." In his message to the world's Muslims, Khamenei referred to Saudi officials with titles such as "godless and heartless rulers," "instigators of discord," "politicians unaware of God," and "the accursed tree of tyrants." Mohammed bin Nayef, the Crown Prince and Minister of Interior of Saudi Arabia, reacted to this message by accusing Iran of "politicizing" the Hajj ceremony. Bin Nayef stated that "Iran raised demands for this year's Hajj that were contrary to the purposes of Hajj and endangered the safety of pilgrims." Previously, Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi Foreign Minister, accused Iran of "political exploitation" of the Mina incident and stated that it would be better for Iranians to wait for the results of investigations to be clarified. In this context, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia responded to Khamenei's message by stating that Iranians are not Muslims.