Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization had earlier announced that registration of pilgrims wanting to make pilgrimage to Iraqi holy cities on Arbaeen has started, adding that the country is ready to send up to two million pilgrims to Iraq on the religious occasion.
Arbaeen, which is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, comes 40 days after Ashura, the martyrdom anniversary of the third Shia Imam, Imam Hussein (AS).
Each year, a huge crowd of Shiites flock to the Iraqi city of Karbala, where the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) is located, to perform mourning rites.
Last year, around 20 million pilgrims from all over the world, including over 1.6 million Iranians, gathered in Karbala to attend the mourning ceremonies marking Arbaeen.