Millions of Shiites gathered in Iraq for the Arbaeen pilgrimage amid regional tensions
Kyiv • UNN
Millions of Shiite Muslims took part in the annual Arbaeen pilgrimage in Karbala, Iraq, amid regional tensions and fears of an escalation of the war between the US and Iran. The arrival of pilgrims continues, making it one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.
Millions of Shia Muslims on Tuesday took part in the annual Arbaeen pilgrimage in the Iraqi city of Karbala, sacred to them, amid ongoing regional tensions and fears of a new round of escalation in the war between the US and Iran. This is reported by the Associated Press, writes UNN.
Details
Arbaeen is observed 40 days after Ashura, the day commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, and his family members during the Battle of Karbala in 680.
The command for the Arbaeen pilgrimage operation under the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces reported on Monday that since the first day of the Islamic month of Muharram, which includes Ashura and the period leading up to Arbaeen, more than 4.88 million pilgrims have arrived in Iraq. Arrivals from various countries continue, as this is considered one of the largest annual religious gatherings in the world.
Millions more pilgrims typically arrive in Karbala from various regions of Iraq itself.
Among the most prominent foreign guests was Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who arrived on Monday in the Iraqi city of Najaf and then traveled to Karbala to participate in the pilgrimage.
Araghchi's presence highlighted the delicate balance that Iraq maintains—a country with close ties to both Washington and Tehran—since the beginning of the war. Iraq has found itself between the two sides of the conflict and is trying to avoid being further drawn into the confrontation.
Volunteer stations providing food, water, medical care, and other services were set up along the roads to Karbala from all regions of Iraq.
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This year's pilgrimage takes place against the backdrop of a difficult economic situation in Iraq following the war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which disrupted Iraqi oil exports. More than 90% of Iraq's state revenues come from oil exports, making the country's economy highly vulnerable to any disruptions in the supply of raw materials.
It also occurs at a time when Baghdad is trying to accomplish the difficult task it has set for itself—disarming the network of armed groups in the country, many of which are supported by Iran.
One of the most influential pro-Iranian groups, "Kata'ib Hezbollah," in a statement on the occasion of Arbaeen, rejected calls for disarmament and said it would continue to maintain what it called the "weapons of resistance."
Meanwhile, in Iran, many Shia believers who were unable to make the pilgrimage to Karbala held their own events, which sometimes took on a political character.
In the capital, Tehran, mourners dressed in black walked a nearly 20-kilometer (12-mile) route to a Shia shrine in the south of the city, starting from the central part of the capital.
Participants chanted calls for revenge for the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a result of US and Israeli strikes, and some demonstrators trampled US and Israeli flags.