Arbaeen

‘We have been sitting hungry and thirsty at the airport since 4am, and no one is addressing our concerns’

State television shows Khamenei standing as he spoke in a steady voice to his audience sitting on the floor

NCOC also advises pilgrims returning from Iraq to cooperate with administration and act like responsible citizens

Foreign pilgrims would be allowed to arrive only by air, says official

Authorities say security force units are deployed to raise awareness among pilgrims about the dangers of the pandemic

With 14 million pilgrims attending Arbaeen in 2019, Iraq has allowed only 1500 pilgrims per country this year

Qureshi says those who have applied for the Iraqi visa for Arbaeen would be granted visas soon

One of the world's biggest religious festivals commemorated amid tight security