"Pilgrimage Will Not Stop Even in War": Iranians Head to Mecca for Hajj as Tensions Reach a Boiling Point
- Input
- 2026-05-24 04:34:17
- Updated
- 2026-05-24 04:34:17
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Although the Gulf region has become a battlefield after the United States and Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran on February 28, the pilgrimage to Islam's holy sites has not stopped.
Iran attacked Saudi Arabia, a U.S. ally. The most recent case came on the 17th, when an Iraqi armed group linked to Iran attacked Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia intercepted three drones.
This year's Hajj begins on the evening of the 24th and runs for six days until the evening of the 29th. The main ritual will be the prayer at Mount Arafat on the second day of Hajj, the 26th.
During Hajj, Islam's largest religious gathering, it is customary for even wars to pause.
But with tensions now at their highest level, Saudi authorities are on edge over the possibility of clashes during the Hajj, WSJ reported.
In particular, Saudi Arabia, the leading Sunni Islam power, and Iran, the leading Shia Islam power, have often clashed during Hajj over control of Mecca, so the war has put this year's pilgrimage on high alert.
In 1987, Iranian pilgrims staged anti-U.S. and anti-Israel protests, and 400 people were crushed to death in the chaos. In 1989, a bomb attack occurred near the Grand Mosque in Mecca, and Saudi Arabia blamed Iran.
In 2015, a mass crowd crush during the Hajj killed many Iranians, and diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia were severed.
Saudi Arabia is especially concerned that Iranian pilgrims may stage a large-scale riot this year under the direction of Iranian authorities.
Hajj refers to a series of religious rituals centered on the Kaaba, a square structure draped in black cloth, and the so-called Black Stone, a reddish-black rock about 30 centimeters in diameter set into the eastern corner of the Kaaba, at the center of Masjid al-Haram, Islam's holiest sanctuary in Mecca. As one of the five obligations of Muslims, those who are physically able to make the long journey to Mecca, healthy enough to complete five to six days of outdoor rituals, and financially capable of covering the cost must make the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.\r\n\r\n
\r\nSong Kyung-jae, Financial Newsdympna@fnnews.com Song Kyung-jae Reporter