Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance talks with the Iranian pilgrims head on Hajj and Umrah trips

According to the Hajj information base, at this meeting, which was held at the Supreme Leader's Delegation Office in Tehran, Mr. "Mohammed Mahdi Esmaili" mentioned this year's Hajj as a successful Hajj and expressed his appreciation for the efforts of Iranian pilgrims head and all agents and those involved in holding Hajj al-Tamattu.

Iranian President also thanked and appreciated the efforts of Hajj participants during the presentation of this year's Hajj activities report, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance said.

Mr. Esmaili also said the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance is ready to hold Supreme Council of Hajj and Pilgrimage meeting as soon as possible under the chairmanship of President in order to decide on resuming Umrah trips of Iranians to the Land of Revelation.

In this meeting, which was also attended by the chairman of Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, Hojjat al-Islam Navvab said that with the help of God and Supreme Leader’s guidance and also people’s prayers, this year's Hajj was held well.

This year’s hajj was held with the presence of more than 87 thousand Iranian pilgrims while the country is still suffering from the lack of facilities due to the cruel and severe sanctions of global arrogance and the heat of air in Saudi Arabia was unprecedented in the last 25 years.

Referring the high average age of Iranian pilgrims as another noteworthy point of this year's Hajj, leader of Iranian pilgrims stated: this year, the age gap between Iranian pilgrims was 111 years, so that they were present from a few-month-old baby to 111 years old man.

Stating that dispatching a number of pilgrims with diseases such as Alzheimer's, kidney and heart problems had caused problems for the servants, Hojjat al-Islam Navvab emphasized on necessity to review the instructions for sending pilgrims to Hajj and paying attention to their physical ability.

Referring the following up the use of Taef airport instead of Jeddah airport for Iranian pilgrims who travel to the Land of Revelation, he said: If the plan is implemented, the 300-kilometer route for pilgrims arriving from Jeddah airport and leaving for Mecca will be reduced to less than 100 kilometers.

Welcoming the action, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance also emphasized that he will follow up on this issue in his future contacts with his Saudi counterpart.

Stating that decrease in the number of Hajj brokers while maintaining the quality caused sending more pilgrims to hajj, Supreme Leader's representative in Hajj and Pilgrimage affairs emphasized cultural programs including holding Qur'anic meetings, narration, Medina and Mecca studies studies were more and of higher quality than in previous years.

Chairman of Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization also presented at this meeting the statistics of high-risk pilgrims who were sent to Hajj this year and emphasized that this issue had caused problems in the process of implementing hajj operation.

It should be planned in a way so that people who are able to perform their actions are sent to Hajj so that the problems for the medical center and those involved in future Hajj are reduced, Mr. Seyyed Abbas Hosseini emphasized.