East Azerbaijan Hajj and Pilgrimage News Agency

During a meeting of the Hajj and Pilgrimage planning council, officials discussed flight logistics for the upcoming Hajj season and the status of pilgrimage travel to Iraq.

At a meeting of the planning council for the Supreme Leader's Hajj delegation and the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organisation, chaired by Hojjat al-Islam Seyyed Abdolfattah Navab, the representative of the Supreme Leader for Hajj and Pilgrimage affairs, Akbar Rezaei announced that pilgrims will be dispatched from domestic flight stations to airports in Medina, Jeddah, and Taif. He stated that the conclusion of the 1406 Hajj operations is scheduled for the first of Muharram for 'Medina-before' pilgrims and the third of Muharram for 'Medina-after' pilgrims. According to Rezaei, executive tasks are underway, with payments for agents, cultural and medical staff, and reserve personnel completed on schedule, while the selection of service providers for the holy sites remains ongoing.

The head of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organisation addressed efforts to mitigate rising foreign currency costs for the Hajj pilgrimage, noting that despite these measures, it will not be possible to match last year’s prices due to increases in the Hajj package. Ali Reza Rashidian stated that the exchange rate and contract costs are the two primary factors determining the price of the upcoming Hajj, adding that efforts are being made to resolve issues regarding Hajj flights. Rashidian further described the suspension of pilgrimage flights to Iraq as an ill-considered move, asserting that air sanctions are illegal and, even if mandated by the Security Council, should not encompass religious activities.

Morteza Aghaei, the deputy for Atabat-e-Aliyat at the Hajj Organisation, noted that approximately 20 caravans were affected by the flight suspensions, but confirmed that arrangements have been made for these pilgrims to return home at the end of their trips. Aghaei indicated that air travel from Najaf airport might resume as early as Wednesday, 8 Mehr, and emphasised that managing costs and making pilgrimage travel more affordable, while maintaining service quality and pilgrim dignity, remain core objectives. During the meeting, it was also announced that the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organisation’s representative office in Saudi Arabia has been activated for Umrah operations, with the stationed team already beginning its work.

The Supreme Leader's representative for Hajj and Pilgrimage expressed hope that government officials would act swiftly to provide public reassurance regarding travel to the holy lands, thereby fostering greater hope for the implementation of religious programmes. Hojjat al-Islam Navab commemorated the anniversary of the martyrdom of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the late Secretary-General of Hezbollah, as well as the victims of Mecca, Mina, and the Grand Mosque. He raised the issue of compensation for the martyrs of the Mina tragedy from both jurisprudential and legal perspectives, stating that, unfortunately, this has yet to be realised. He noted that while the families of the martyrs have handled the matter with dignity, this does not mean the issue should be abandoned. He added that the 'Master of Resistance' had served as a strong base and fortress for the Islamic world and Shia Islam in West Asia, successfully defeating the Zionist regime in three wars through his initiative, a series of victories that enemies could not tolerate, leading to his martyrdom.