Iraq’s newly appointed ambassador to Iran, Yasser Abdulzahra Al-Hajjaj, visited the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad during his first official trip to the city, ahead of the Arbaeen pilgrimage season.
Al-Hajjaj held a meeting with Ayatollah Ahmad Marvi, the custodian of Astan Quds Razavi, and also visited the resting place of martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei to pay tribute.
Speaking on the sidelines of his pilgrimage, Al-Hajjaj described Arbaeen as the greatest manifestation of solidarity between the peoples of Iran and Iraq.
The ambassador said millions of pilgrims from different countries, particularly Iran, travel the path of devotion to Imam Hussein (AS) toward the holy city of Karbala each year, adding that the massive religious gathering continues to grow in scale.
Referring to this year's pilgrimage, the Iraqi ambassador said around four million Iranian pilgrims are expected to attend the Arbaeen ceremonies.
Al-Hajjaj also described the Mawakeb (pilgrim service camps) established along the Najaf-to-Karbala route as one of the clearest manifestations of solidarity between the two nations.
The ambassador emphasized that serving the pilgrims of Imam Hussein (AS) is not merely an executive task but a manifestation of the culture of sacrifice, brotherhood, and friendship shared by the two Muslim nations—a culture that becomes more evident every year during the Arbaeen march.