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14 Jordanians, 5 Iranians Die During Hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca
The Kaaba in Mecca. Photo: Bluemangoa2z via Wikimedia Commons.
i24 News – Jordan’s foreign ministry said on Sunday that 14 of its citizens had died during the Muslim Hajj pilgrimage, with 17 more missing.
Iran’s Red Crescent also said that “five Iranian pilgrims have lost their lives so far in Mecca and Medina during the Hajj this year.”
At least six of the Jordanian fatalities were caused by heat stroke, the foreign ministry statement said, as temperatures soared in the Saudi Arabian city. The weather forecast for Monday in Mecca predicts temperatures as high as 116 Fahrenheit (47 Celsius).
The Jordanian foreign ministry said it was in touch with Saudi officials to arrange burials – either transport back to Jordan or burial in Saudi Arabia, depending on the wishes of families of the deceased.
This comes as the pilgrimage is set to end on Wednesday, after the Eid Al-Adha festival that began on Saturday.
The Saudi health ministry on Thursday warned the pilgrims to avoid staying outside in the sun and to keep hydrated.
The kingdom estimates that 1.8 million pilgrims will take part in the traditional pilgrimage, which Muslims who are financially and physically able to travel must take part in at least once in their lives.
The Hajj, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, takes place annually during the Dhu Hajj Muslim month. Pilgrims circle the Kaaba, a monument believed to have been built by Abraham and Ishmael, and perform several other rituals.
The rush by Muslims worldwide to make the pilgrimage has led to tragedy in recent years, despite Saudi authorities facilitating the mass entry of believers to the holy sites. A stampede in 2015 claimed the lives of more than 2,000 people, according to estimates.
The post 14 Jordanians, 5 Iranians Die During Hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Lebanon Must Disarm Hezbollah to Have a Shot at Better Days, Says US Envoy
Thomas Barrack at the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., November 4, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
i24 News – Lebanon’s daunting social, economic and political issues would not get resolved unless the state persists in the efforts to disarm Hezbollah, the Iranian proxy behind so much of the unrest and destruction, special US envoy Tom Barrack told The National.
“You have Israel on one side, you have Iran on the other, and now you have Syria manifesting itself so quickly that if Lebanon doesn’t move, it’s going to be Bilad Al Sham again,” he said, using the historical Arabic name for the region sometimes known as “larger Syria.”
The official stressed the need to follow through on promises to disarm the Iranian proxy, which suffered severe blows from Israel in the past year, including the elimination of its entire leadership, and is considered a weakened though still dangerous jihadist outfit.
“There are issues that we have to arm wrestle with each other over to come to a final conclusion. Remember, we have an agreement, it was a great agreement. The problem is, nobody followed it,” he told The National.
Barrack spoke on the heels of a trip to Beirut, where he proposed a diplomatic plan for the region involving the full disarmament of Hezbollah by the Lebanese state.
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Report: Putin Urges Iran to Accept ‘Zero Enrichment’ Nuclear Deal With US
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of a cultural forum dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the birth of the Turkmen poet and philosopher Magtymguly Fragi, in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Oct. 11, 2024. Photo: Sputnik/Alexander Scherbak/Pool via REUTERS
i24 News – Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Iranian leadership that he supports the idea of a nuclear deal in which Iran is unable to enrich uranium, the Axios website reported on Saturday. The Russian strongman also relayed the message to his American counterpart, President Donald Trump, the report said.
Iranian news agency Tasnim issued a denial, citing an “informed source” as saying Putin had not sent any message to Iran in this regard.
Also on Saturday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that “Any negotiated solution must respect Iran’s right to enrichment. No agreement without recognizing our right to enrichment. If negotiations occur, the only topic will be the nuclear program. No other issues, especially defense or military matters, will be on the agenda.”
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Syria’s Al-Sharaa Attending At Least One Meeting With Israeli Officials in Azerbaijan
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron after a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, May 7, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/Pool
i24 News – Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa is attending at least one meeting with Israeli officials in Azerbaijan today, despite sources in Damascus claiming he wasn’t attending, a Syrian source close to President Al-Sharaa tells i24NEWS.
The Syrian source stated that this is a series of two or three meetings between the sides, with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani also in attendance, along with Ahmed Al-Dalati, the Syrian government’s liaison for security meetings with Israel.
The high-level Israeli delegation includes a special envoy of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, as well as security and military figures.
The purpose of the meetings is to discuss further details of the security agreement to be signed between Israel and Syria, the Iranian threat in Syria and Lebanon, Hezbollah’s weapons, the weapons of Palestinian militias, the Palestinians camps in Lebanon, and the future of Palestinian refugees from Gaza in the region.
The possibility of opening an Israeli coordination office in Damascus, without diplomatic status, might also be discussed.
The source stated that the decision to hold the meetings in Azerbaijan, made by Israel and the US, is intended to send a message to Iran.
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