Tehran, Iran, Apr. 26
By Mehdi Sepahvand – Trend:
Saudi Arabia has given 35 percent rise to the number of pilgrims Iran can sent on the annual Muslim gathering of Hajj in Mecca, giving hopes of better days to a half-down business in Iran, Tasnim news agency reported April 26.
Iran was engaged in talks with Riyadh over the past months to end an impasse that had kept Iranians from Hajj, resulting in down days for thousands of tour agencies across the country.
Tehran stopped sending people on Hajj after near 500 Iranians died in a crush during the ritual in 2015. The blood money of the victims still remains unpaid by the Saudi government.
Iranians to be sent on Hajj this year have been waiting for their turn since 2006. Iran has said if it continues to dispatch people on Hajj at the 2015 number of 80,000 per year, the last of people who have already signed up for the pilgrimage will have to expect their turn in 20 years.
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