Iran to Start Umrah Pilgrimage Operation after Muharram: Official

IQNA – An Iranian official said sending Umrah pilgrims to Saudi Arabia will begin after the end of the lunar Hijri month of Muharram (late July).

Head of Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization Ali Reza Bayat made the remark after the conclusion of the country’s Hajj 2025 operation with the arrival of the last group of Iranian pilgrims in the country on Tuesday.

He described the Hajj operation this year as unique given the special conditions caused by the Israeli regime’s aggression on Iran and the cancellation of flights.

“Despite all the ups and downs during this year's Hajj season, we were able to fulfill most of the promises made, and this was evident in surveys conducted in various executive areas,” he stated.

Bayat further referred to the timing of the individual Umrah trips and the doubling of the student Umrah capacity this year, saying that given the enthusiastic demand for Umrah, the target for the upcoming Umrah season is to send 400,000 Iranians to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage.

“If air traffic conditions are available, we will begin the individual Umrah operation at the end of Muharram,” he noted.

Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca that every able-bodied and financially able Muslim is obliged to undertake at least once during their lifetime.

Umrah refers to pilgrimage rites carried out in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina throughout the year, and is separate from the annual week-long Hajj.

4292181