Jahangiri, who arrived in the Iraqi city of Najaf on Thursday, expressed gratitude to Iraq’s government and nation for hosting millions of pilgrims during Arbaeen, the 40th day after the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (AS).
He also highlighted a rise in the number of people taking part in the religious procession between the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala this year, saying more than 2 million Iranians have entered Iraq over the past weeks.
Pointing to the defeat of Takfiri groups in Iraq and the Baghdad government’s sovereignty over all territories, Jahangiri praised the Iraqi government, nation and armed forces for maintaining a good level of security in the country.
The Arbaeen mourning ceremony is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world. Each year, millions of pilgrims, mainly from Iraq and Iran, travel long routes on foot to Karbala, where the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) is located.
Last year, around 20 million pilgrims gathered in Karbala on Arbaeen, making the world’s largest human gathering in modern history.