Wasit receives 70,000 Iranian pilgrims returning overland from Saudi Arabia as airspace closure continues

WASIT — The governorate of Wasit began receiving large numbers of Iranian pilgrims on Monday as part of a 10-day operation to facilitate their overland return from the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, amid continued closure of Iranian airspace due to regional conflict.

The effort is being coordinated by Iraq’s Hajj and Umrah Commission, with pilgrims entering the country via the Arar border crossing and continuing through Wasit’s Zurbatiya crossing en route to Iran.

Iranian airspace has remained closed since Friday due to the ongoing exchange of fire between Israel and Iran, disrupting commercial and pilgrimage flights. Thousands of returning pilgrims have been affected, prompting authorities to organize alternative overland routes.

Wasit Governor Mohammed Jamil Al-Mayahi told 964media that around 70,000 Iranian pilgrims are expected to transit through the governorate over the coming days. “The overland return of Iranian pilgrims will include 70,000 individuals entering through Wasit to return home via the Zurbatiya border crossing,” he said.

On Monday, 20 convoys carrying 1,000 pilgrims arrived in Wasit, where they were received at Saeed Bin Jubair Hall and provided with medical services, food, and rest areas. Al-Mayahi said the convoys are being supported by security units, traffic patrols, and emergency services. An additional processing window was opened at Zurbatiya to reduce wait times at the border.

The Iranian Organization of Pilgrimage and Hajj confirmed that pilgrims had begun crossing into Iran through the Mehran border point, opposite the Iraqi city of Kut. The organization thanked Iraqi and Saudi authorities for facilitating the journey.

The Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office said a high-level government team had been dispatched to supervise the operation. “Under the direction of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, a team headed by the Minister of Interior, and including the heads of the Hajj and Umrah Commission, National Intelligence Service, and Border Crossings Authority, began supervising the overland return of Iraqi and Iranian pilgrims from Saudi Arabia via the Arar crossing,” a statement said.