Senior Iranian cleric Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi said in the holy city on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia has politicized the Hajj rituals.
Speaking in a local gathering, Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi said the Saudis are trying to revenge their defeats in Yemen, Syria and Iraq.
He added Tehran decided to cancel this year Hajj pilgrimage because Saudis wanted to humiliate Iranians.
Senior cleric stressed that the holy shrines should be managed by a number of wise Ulema from Islamic countries.
On May 29, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ali Jannati said that Iranians cannot make their Hajj pilgrimage this year due to the obstacles made by Saudi Arabian officials.
Jannati reiterated that the decision has been made following Riyadh's behavior with Iranian delegation who traveled to Saudi Arabia to negotiate about this year Hajj rituals.
The minister regretted that the Iranian pilgrims could not be dispatched to this year Hajj rituals.
More than 460 Iranians were among thousands of pilgrims who died on September 24, 2015, in a stampede in Mina, near the holy city of Mecca.
The incident marked the worst ever tragedy during Hajj.
source : abna24
