Tehran: Iran thanked Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for its handling of the annual hajj pilgrimage, saying it opened the way for negotiations between the regional rivals. "We thank Saudi Arabia… for adopting a new approach in dealing with Iranian pilgrims," said Ali Ghazi-Askar, the head of the hajj organisation in Tehran, according to the state broadcaster.
Some 86,000 Iranian pilgrims took part last week in the hajj. They were unable to attend in 2016 after talks collapsed over security concerns. Iran had been highly critical of Saudi Arabia's organisation efforts in the wake of a stampede in 2015.