Saudi: Iran demands to organize demonstrations during the Haj, it is unacceptable

Jeddah – Saudi Arabia on Sunday denounced Iran’s “unacceptable” demands over its pilgrims joining the Haj, after Tehran said its citizens would not be taking part this year because of obstacles raised by Riyadh.
“Iran has demanded the right to organise … demonstrations and to have privileges … that would cause chaos during the Haj. This is unacceptable,” Saudi foreign minister Adel Al Jubeir said.
Tehran said earlier on Sunday that Iranians would miss the pilgrimage, which falls in September this year.
Al Jubeir said Saudi Arabia signed a Haj memorandum of understanding each year with more than 70 countries “to guarantee the security and safety of pilgrims”.
“This year, Iran refused to sign the memorandum,” he said, arguing that Riyadh has agreed to facilitate the travel arrangements of Iranian pilgrims despite having no diplomatic ties or air links.
“It is very negative if Iran’s intention from the start was to manoeuvre and find excuses, in order to prevent its citizens from performing the Haj,” he said.
“If it is about measures and procedures, I think we have done more than our duty to meet those needs, but it is the Iranians who have rejected things.”
Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic ties with Iran and banned Iranian flights after demonstrators torched its embassy and a consulate in January.
 The two countries are at odds over a raft of regional issues, notably the conflicts in Syria and Yemen in which they support opposing sides.
It was the second attempt by the two countries to reach a deal on the issue after an unsuccessful first round of talks held in April in Saudi Arabia.
Tehran said Riyadh had insisted that visas for Iranians be issued in a third country and would not allow pilgrims to be flown aboard Iranian aircraft.
But the Saudi Haj ministry said it had offered “many solutions” to meet a string of demands made by the Iranians in two days of talks.
Agreement had been reached in some areas, including to use electronic visas which could be printed out by Iranian pilgrims, as Saudi diplomatic missions remain shut in Iran, it said.
Riyadh also agreed to allow some Iranian carriers to fly pilgrims to the kingdom despite the ban on Iranian airlines, the ministry said.
This would be the first Haj in almost 30 years to take place without the participation of pilgrims from Iran.
Source: International News Media, 29 may 2016