Tehran says it is hopeful to increase the number of pilgrims it will be sending to the annual Muslim ritual of hajj, to be held late 2017 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Trend Reported the announcement comes following Tehran and Riyadh settling their disputes dating from two years ago when some 470 Iranians were killed in a crush in Mecca.
Iran has since boycotted the hajj, saying Saudi Arabia has failed to pay for the bloods of the killed people and give assurance that Iranian pilgrims will be safe.
"This year we hope to be able to send 80,000 people on the hajj, because according to an Organization of Islamic Cooperation law, each country can send one thousandth of its population each year, and Iran’s population is currently over 80 million,” acting director of Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization Hamid Mohammadi told IRNA news agency February 22.
He further explained the progress of talks between Tehran and Riyadh to settle their dispute over the Muslim ritual. According to Mohammadi, an Iranian expert team had traveled to Saudi Arabia a day earlier to lay the grounds for a higher-level meeting in the coming days, which will decide whether Iran is sending pilgrims on hajj this year at all.
According to the official, currently 1.6 million Iranians have signed up and are waiting their turn to go on hajj.
