Iran announced Thursday that it will suspend its participation in the annual hajj, the pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia that is a religious duty for all Muslims, in the latest sign of deteriorating relations between the two Middle Eastern heavyweights.
The decision comes amid Iran’s increasingly strident criticism of Saudi Arabia’s management of the pilgrimage in the wake of a deadly stampede in September. The disaster resulted in the deaths of at least 2,000 pilgrims, including 464 Iranians, according to an Associated Press count based on official reports.
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