Process of Hajj Pilgrims’ Return to Iran Expedited
In a released statement, the organization said the return of pilgrims to the country, which resumed on Sunday morning, June 14, using flights from Medina Airport to the border city of Arar, will gain further momentum starting Tuesday with the addition of Jeddah as a transfer hub for pilgrims from Mecca.
By the end of Monday, a total of eight flights from Medina Airport to the border city of Arar were completed, facilitating the return of 2,700 pilgrims via Iraqi soil, it said.
The statement added that starting Tuesday, the number of flights from Medina will also increase, accounting for the capacity limits of the host country's air fleet infrastructure.
“Hajj pilgrims who entered Iraq Sunday have been temporarily accommodated in Karbala, where they performed pilgrimage to the shrine of Imam Hussein (AS). They will then be dispatched toward Iran’s border crossings.”
Additionally, the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization is exploring alternative measures alongside the current transfer program to expedite the pilgrims’ return process, it noted.
The organization had announced on Friday that all return flights for Iranian pilgrims have been suspended until further notice due to the nationwide grounding of air traffic following a series of Israeli airstrikes across the country.
More than 86,000 Iranians took part in this year’s Hajj, which concluded earlier this month.
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