Iranian pilgrims have participated in this year’s Hajj in Mecca despite the ongoing war between Iran and the United States. Among them is Hassan Qaderi from Isfahan, who expressed happiness at being able to perform the pilgrimage. Qaderi and his family had taken shelter during Israeli and American bombings in central Iran before a ceasefire in April brought relative calm. He told AFP that in Mecca they now hear the call to prayer instead of explosions. Iranian pilgrims, including Qaderi’s family, are staying near the Grand Mosque under special security provided by Saudi forces.

According to Iran’s state news agency IRNA, only a little over 30,000 Iranians were able to travel to Saudi Arabia for Hajj this year, far fewer than the expected 86,700 due to wartime conditions. Hajj has long been a sensitive issue between Riyadh’s Sunni monarchy and Tehran’s Shia government. Past tensions included deadly stampedes, accusations of political slogans, and a 2015 tragedy that killed 464 Iranians. Diplomatic ties were severed in 2016 after protests in Tehran and Mashhad but were restored in 2023 through Chinese mediation.

The peaceful participation of Iranian pilgrims this year reflects a cautious normalization of Saudi-Iran relations despite regional conflict.