Iran finally receives Haj invite from Saudi Arabia
London [UK], Jan. 11 (ANI): Iran has said that it has finally received an official invitation from Saudi Arabia for its pilgrims to attend this year's Haj.
ANI
Jan 11, 2017 09:32 IST
London [UK], Jan. 11 (ANI): Iran has said that it has finally received an official invitation from Saudi Arabia for its pilgrims to attend this year's Haj. There was no official Iranian delegation at last year's Haj after Saudi Arabia severed relations with Iran following the torching of its missions in Tehran and Mashhad by protesters last January, reports the Guardian. The tone is "not that much different from past letters", Haj affairs representative Ali Ghazi Askar said, adding that Iran would respond in the coming days. Negotiations for Iranian pilgrims to join last year's Haj broke down over the questions of where their visas should be issued and how their security could be assured following the deaths of 464 in a stampede at the Haj site in 2015. The Saudi-owned Al-Hayat newspaper reported on Dec 30 that Saudi Pilgrimage Minister Mohammed Bentin had opened discussions with more than 80 countries, including Iran, on the arrangements for the 2017 Haj. (ANI)
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