Saudi agrees to Iran consulates during Hajj: ministry

TEHRAN: Iran will be allowed to set up temporary consulates in Saudi Arabia during the Hajj pilgrimage despite the absence of diplomatic ties between the two rivals, the foreign ministry in Tehran said on Tuesday.



"Some officials from the foreign ministry's consular section will be deployed to Jeddah, Mecca and Medina to provide consular services to Iranian pilgrims during the Hajj," spokesperson Bahram Ghasemi was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency.

Iranians were unable to attend the Hajj last year after talks on security and logistics fell apart. But an agreement was reached earlier this year to allow Iranians to take part in this September's Hajj. More than 1.8 million faithful took part in last year's Hajj.



The two countries severed diplomatic ties in January 2016 after Iranians stormed Saudi Arabia's embassy in Tehran in response to the execution of a prominent Shia cleric.

The region's two leading powers back opposing sides in several conflicts, including in Syria and Yemen.