Iran bans pilgrims from hajj, citing safety concerns
(The Christian Science Monitor) Iranian authorities will not allow the nation’s pilgrims to participate in the hajj to Mecca in September, accusing Saudi Arabia of making insufficient safety arrangements for Iranian citizens.
The decision, which escalates tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, arises from concerns about whether Saudi Arabia has done enough to guarantee pilgrims’ safety after last September’s disaster, when hundreds and perhaps thousands of worshipers were killed in a stampede.
The Iranian hajj organization said it had worked with the Iranian government to allow pilgrims to honor the custom, but talks with Saudi Arabia did not go far enough.
