Iran to decide on Hajj if Saudi Arabia sends invitation

EghtesadOnline: Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi corrected some reports misquoting him about the next Hajj rituals.

News ID: ۷۷۲۸۷۳

04 January 2017

He rejected some news stories quoting him saying that Iran will not be dispatching pilgrims to Hajj next year.

Qasemi said, if proper conditions are met, the country will evaluate the situation and make decisions accordingly.

According to ILNA, he stressed that Iran has not received any invitations from Saudi Arabia in this connection.

He reiterated that the Islamic Republic of Iran has got no invitation letters from the Saudi government for the next year Hajj.

Qasemi said once an invitation of this kind is received, relevant organizations will make the suitable decisions in this regard.

Several media speculation and reports on Friday noted that Saudi Pilgrimage Minister Mohammed Bentin had begun discussions with more than 80 countries, including Iran, to work out the details of the 2017 Hajj.

The new head of Iran's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, Hamid Mohammadi, however dismissed the claims on Sunday, saying Saudi Arabia has not extended an invitation for Iran’s participation in this year’s Hajj rituals.

He went on stress that Iran’s Hajj organization is making every effort to make the conditions ready for the participation of Iranian pilgrims in Hajj.