Saudi airline resumes Hajj flights for Iranians after nearly a decade
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A Saudi airline has resumed flights for Iranian pilgrims for the first time in nearly a decade, in a significant step reflecting the thaw in relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
A Saudi civil aviation authority official confirmed to AFP that Flynas resumed flights from Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport on Saturday. Additional flights from Mashhad are expected soon, facilitating the travel of more than 35,000 Iranian pilgrims to the kingdom for this year's Hajj.
'These flights are not commercial and are strictly designated for Hajj pilgrims,' the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The annual pilgrimage is set to begin in the first week of June, with millions of Muslims from around the world already arriving in Saudi Arabia.
Read more: Pakistani pilgrims to receive 'historic' Hajj facilities
The resumption of direct flights marks a notable development in Saudi-Iran ties, which were restored in March 2023 through a China-brokered agreement after a seven-year diplomatic rupture.
Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad were attacked during protests over the execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr. Iranian pilgrims were barred from attending Hajj that year due to failed logistical negotiations.
In the years following, Iranians were permitted to join the pilgrimage but could only travel via Iranian-chartered flights.
Since the 2023 rapprochement, both regional powers have increased diplomatic engagement, with the resumption of Hajj flights seen as a tangible outcome of renewed cooperation.
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