All Iranian Hajj Pilgrims to Arrive Home by July 1: Official
Speaking in a meeting on Friday, Alireza Bayat noted that a hybrid aerial-ground route via Iraq is being used to transfer pilgrims.
He appreciated the efforts made by Saudi Arabia and Iraq to facilitate this process.
Although this path has posed some challenges for the pilgrims, they are happy with the oppurtunity to visit the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) just after performing Hajj, Bayat noted.
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Earlier, Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization said in a statement, “Following the cancellation of flights and the inability to use air transport, the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization evaluated all possible options for the safe return of pilgrims and ultimately adopted a combined air-land travel plan to facilitate their repatriation.”
Under the arranged plan—coordinated with the Saudi government—pilgrims will be flown 1,000 km from Medina to Arar Airport near the Iraqi border via Saudi airlines. They will then be transported by prearranged buses to either Najaf or Karbala, the statement noted.
After a short rest and visiting the holy shrines in those cities, pilgrims will be transferred by buses to Iran’s borders and then onward to their hometowns, it said.
The Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization will provide all necessary facilities during the transit process in Iraq, including meals, healthcare services, and even mobile internet access for pilgrims, it added.
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"Given the current exceptional circumstances, any changes to the pilgrims’ transfer process will be promptly communicated,” the statement went on to say.
The Iranian Hajj pilgrims have remained in Saudi Arabia after the conclusion of Hajj due to cancelation of return flights after the Israeli regime launched its military aggression on Iran on June 13.
Bayat said that some 5,000 Iranian pilgrims are being transfered daily via this route.
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