Following the recent terrorist attacks against Iranian pilgrims to Iraq, Iran is calling on its nationals to seriously refrain from traveling to the neighboring country unless as part of a registered tour, Press TV reported.
"All pilgrimage trips to Iraq by Iranian pilgrims that possess individual visas but are not accompanied by tours supervised by Iran's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization are banned," said a statement by pilgrimage coordination bureau of Iran's Interior Ministry, quoted by IRIB website.
It added that Iranian police forces must seriously prevent individual pilgrimages, especially during Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, when millions of Shia Muslims attempt to travel to the holy city of Karbala to partake in mourning rituals marking the martyrdom tragedy of the third Shia Imam Hussein (PBUH) and 72 of his companions by forces of a corrupt ruling Caliph.
The decision has been made to avoid possible (terrorist) events in war-torn Iraq and avoid illegal gatherings near the borders.
Every day, the Shia shrines in Iraq, mainly the ones in the two cities of Karbala and Najaf, host hundreds of pilgrims from neighboring Iran.
Iraq has been suffering attacks on an almost daily basis in the chaos that followed the US-led invasion of the country in 2003.
In a recent terrorist attack, five bombings hit the Iraqi capital city, Baghdad, claiming the lives of around 50 people, including seven Iranians pilgrims, and wounding 160 others.
Last week, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hassan Qashqavi strongly condemned the terrorist attacks against Iranian pilgrims to Iraq and urged the Baghdad government to further tighten security.
"Unfortunately, we have repeatedly witnessed such tragic incidents involving Iranian pilgrims and we hope that Iraqi officials act more responsibly towards protecting the lives of Iranian pilgrims who have acquired Iraqi visas," Qashqavi noted.
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