Iranians to resume hajj in Saudi Arabia after 2016 boycott | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Iranians to resume hajj in Saudi Arabia after 2016 boycott

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran says it has reached an agreement with Saudi Arabia for 85,000 Iranian pilgrims to attend the hajj after Tehran boycotted last year's annual Muslim pilgrimage.

The official IRNA news agency said Friday that the agreement was reached between an Iranian delegation and Saudi officials.

Iran boycotted last year's hajj after a stampede and crush of pilgrims in 2015 killed at least 2,426 people. Iran had the highest death toll of any country, with 464 killed.

Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran are regional rivals who support opposite sides in the wars in Syria and Yemen. Riyadh cut diplomatic relations with Tehran last year after demonstrators stormed Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran over the kingdom's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

News from © The Associated Press, 2017
The Associated Press

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