Mohammad bin Nayef: Iranian Officials Seek to Politicize Hajj Ceremonies

Following a message from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, regarding the 'incompetence' of the Saudi government in organizing the Hajj and addressing the Mina incident, Mohammad bin Nayef, the Crown Prince and Minister of Interior of Saudi Arabia, accused Iran of 'politicizing' the Hajj ceremonies. According to Reuters, bin Nayef stated on Monday, September 6, that 'Islamic Republic officials, for internal reasons, prevented Iranian pilgrims from traveling to Saudi Arabia and are seeking to politicize the Hajj and turn it into a ceremony contrary to Islamic teachings.' The Saudi prince further added, '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, also accused Iran of 'political exploitation' of the Mina incident and suggested that it would be better for Iranians to wait for the results of investigations. On the same day, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a strongly worded message regarding the Hajj, urging Islamic countries not to 'let go of Saudi Arabia' and to 'think seriously about managing the Hajj.' In his message to Muslims around the world, Khamenei referred to Saudi officials with titles such as 'godless and unprincipled rulers,' 'instigators of sedition,' 'politicians oblivious to God,' and 'the cursed tree of tyrants.' He also accused the Saudi officials of blocking Iranian pilgrims from traveling to Mecca. Khamenei emphasized that Saudi officials were 'culpable' in both the Mina incident and the crane collapse at the Grand Mosque, and 'the suspicion of intentionality of the incident was raised by some experts.' The Supreme Leader of Iran also claimed that Saudi agents imprisoned Mina incident victims in 'sealed containers' instead of providing treatment and assistance or even giving them water, leading to their deaths. In response to these accusations, Mohammad bin Nayef stated, 'What the media and Iranian officials say is not impartial, and they know better than anyone that Saudi Arabia treats Iranian pilgrims just like other pilgrims.' Saudi officials had previously accused Iranian officials of preventing Iranian pilgrims from attending this year's Hajj, stating that 'the Iranian government is responsible before God and the world for this action.' Following Khamenei's statements, Mohammad Hossein Maqimi, the Deputy Political Minister, stated on Tuesday, September 7, that 'the Saudi government does not have the capability to hold the Hajj ceremonies properly.' Simultaneously, Ali Akbar Velayati, an advisor to the Iranian leader on international affairs, described Khamenei's message about this year's Hajj as a 'decisive, historic, and determining' message. After the Mina incident, Iranian officials accused the Saudi government of 'incompetence' and called for the Hajj to be organized by organizations like the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. In the Mina incident that occurred last year during the Hajj, 464 Iranians were killed. These verbal disputes have affected the issue of Iranian pilgrims' attendance at this year's Hajj. Ultimately, after months of conflict between Riyadh and Tehran, the Minister of Culture and the Iranian Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization announced on Sunday, May 29, that due to Saudi officials' 'obstruction,' the dispatch of Iranian pilgrims for Hajj was canceled. Tensions in Iran-Saudi relations have increased in recent months, with both sides accusing each other of being the source of 'insecurity and instability' in the region. Following the execution of Sheikh Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric and critic of the Saudi government, in January of last year, attacks were carried out on Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad, after which Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations with Iran. In this context, Iran resorted to France to pursue the Mina incident case. The head of Hajj and Pilgrimage denied France's mediation in the Mina case.