Saudi Arabia Evaluates Negotiations with Iran on Hajj as 'Positive'

Hussein Sharif, the Deputy Minister of Hajj of Saudi Arabia, evaluated the negotiations with the Iranian delegation regarding the issue of Iranian pilgrims as 'positive' on Wednesday, June 6. Iranian officials had previously accused Saudi Arabia of 'obstruction' regarding the dispatch of Iranian pilgrims and stated that 'the conditions for performing Hajj are not ready.' Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Hajj of Saudi Arabia stated that Saudi officials welcome the presence of all pilgrims from around the world. According to AFP, Hussein Sharif mentioned that during the negotiations with the Iranian delegation, both sides discussed arrangements, preparations, organization, and services for the pilgrims. The Deputy Minister of Hajj, speaking to reporters after the meeting with the Iranian delegation, stated that since the arrival of the Iranian delegation on Tuesday, an agreement has been reached regarding the use of electronic visas that can be printed, due to the fact that Saudi diplomatic offices in Iran are currently closed. Hussein Sharif added that the final agreement will be signed at the end of the ongoing negotiations. Previously, Iran had stated that Riyadh insisted on issuing visas for Iranian pilgrims in a third country and did not allow direct flights for pilgrims from Iran to Saudi Arabia. According to AFP, Iran had rejected these conditions set by Saudi Arabia for the dispatch of Iranian pilgrims. However, Hussein Sharif did not provide details regarding the aircraft that will transport Iranian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. The Deputy Minister of Hajj of Saudi Arabia further stated that instructions regarding the airline that will transport the pilgrims will be announced by the Saudi national airline. Saeed Ohadi, the head of Iran's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, had previously stated that the Islamic Republic had put forward four conditions: 'ensuring the safety of Iranian pilgrims,' 'using Iran's air fleet for transporting pilgrims,' 'issuing visas within Iran,' and 'utilizing consular services in Saudi Arabia' for sending Iranian pilgrims to Hajj 95. This year's Hajj ceremony is scheduled to take place in September. Following the execution of a prominent Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi embassy and consulate in Tehran and Mashhad were attacked. Following these attacks, Saudi Arabia severed its diplomatic relations with Iran. Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi Foreign Minister, stated one day after the severance of relations between Riyadh and Tehran that this cut includes the end of all trade relations and the cancellation of flights between the two countries but does not include the issue of Iranian travel to the Hajj ceremony. In this context, a letter from Molavi Abdulhamid to the King of Saudi Arabia regarding the absence of Iranians in Hajj stated: Iran is responsible for its decisions before God and the world regarding Hajj. 'Iran's 10-day ultimatum' to Saudi Arabia regarding Hajj 95. Jannati: Saudi Arabia is unwilling to cooperate regarding Iranian pilgrims. The unclear status of sending Iranian pilgrims to Hajj. Changing the battleground of 'proxy wars'; war against the people in the streets of Iran. The first paragraph; the responsibility of the opposition and the possibility of radicalization of Iranian society. The death of the last Mossad representative in Tehran amid the Iran crisis.