Minister of Culture Criticizes Saudi Officials for 'Threats and Sabotage' in Hajj Affairs

Ali Jannati, the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, has reported 'threats' against the Islamic Republic's Hajj officials by Saudi authorities, stating that due to these 'sabotages', 'the conditions for performing Hajj are not ready'. Mr. Jannati, who met with Abdul Karim Mousavi Ardebili, a Shia cleric, on Thursday, May 13, said that the Islamic Republic has been trying to resolve Hajj issues with Saudi Arabia for several months, but even the issuance of visas for the Iranian delegation took 'one to two months'. According to the official news agency of the Islamic Republic, IRNA, the Minister added: 'Eventually, individuals such as the head of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization faced numerous problems obtaining visas and went to Saudi Arabia, where they encountered indifference, threats, and fingerprinting, and despite having diplomatic passports, their belongings were searched.' Said Ohadi is the head of Iran's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, which operates under the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. The Minister further explained that the head of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization held 'four meetings' with the Saudi Minister of Hajj: 'Their interactions were cold and inappropriate, and our proposals regarding issues such as visas, air transportation, and ensuring the safety of pilgrims were not accepted due to the absence of an Iranian consulate.' According to Ali Jannati, Saudi officials 'did not give any promises regarding visas and believe that our pilgrims should go to a third country to obtain visas'. The Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance considered these issues as signs that 'the conditions for Hajj are not ready' and added: 'We have now lost time, but we have tried to show that the sabotage is from the Saudis.' Before Mr. Jannati, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry also stated that Saudi Arabia has not cooperated with the Islamic Republic regarding the Hajj. Hassan Yousofi Ashkouri, a religious researcher residing in Germany, explained the Hajj issue from a religious perspective to Radio Farda, stating: 'Considering that even obligatory Hajj, like other religious obligations, is contingent upon certain conditions that must be met, if an important condition such as security is not provided, even the obligatory Hajj can be suspended for a period, and in such circumstances, the obligation is nullified.' Relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran have been tense in recent years due to disagreements over various regional and international issues. The attack by dozens of plainclothes individuals on the Saudi embassy and consulate in Iran led to the severing of relations between the Sunni kingdom and Iran. During last year's Hajj, hundreds of pilgrims, including more than 400 Iranians, were killed due to overcrowding.