Millions join Karbala Arbaeen pilgrimage amid fresh US-Iran escalation fears

Millions of Shiite pilgrims gathered in Karbala for the annual Arbaeen observance amid regional tensions. The massive turnout underscored Iraq's delicate balance between religious solidarity, economic strain and US-Iran pressure.

In Short

• Iraq recorded over 4.88 million arrivals since Muharram began this season
• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Najaf and Karbala during observances
• Observers noted fewer Arab, European and other foreign pilgrims than usual

Millions of Shiite Muslims observed the annual Arbaeen pilgrimage in Iraq's holy city of Karbala on Tuesday, with the event taking place amid continuing regional tensions and fears of another round of escalation in the US-Iran war. Arbaeen is held 40 days after Ashoura, which marks the killing of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, and members of his family at the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD.

Iraq said more than 4.88 million pilgrims had entered the country since the first day of the Islamic month of Muharram, which includes Ashoura and the period leading up to Arbaeen, while millions more were expected from different parts of Iraq. The pilgrimage also unfolded as Baghdad faced economic strain after the war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, while also dealing with the issue of disarming militias, many of them backed by Iran.

The operations command overseeing the Arbaeen pilgrimage at the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces said on Monday that arrivals from various countries were still continuing for what is seen as one of the world's largest annual religious gatherings. Among the most prominent foreign visitors was Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who arrived in the Iraqi city of Najaf on Monday and then went to Karbala to take part in the pilgrimage. His visit highlighted Iraq's delicate position, as it has close ties with both Washington and Tehran and has tried to avoid being drawn deeper into the conflict.

Iranian pilgrims arrived in large numbers, but some observers said the number of pilgrims from other countries appeared to be lower. Aqeel al-Rubaie, a 45-year-old pilgrim from Baghdad on his way to Karbala, said Iranian flags were especially visible along the Najaf-Karbala road, while there were fewer flags than usual from European, Arab and other Islamic countries. He said this was due to "the war and the events unfolding across the region, which have affected the number of Arab and foreign pilgrims." Another pilgrim from Baghdad, Hassan al-Sarai, 35, said, "I hardly saw any flags other than Iranian ones, which were clearly visible along the road as well as inside and around the city of Karbala." Volunteer processions offering food, water, medical care and other services lined the roads to Karbala from across Iraq.

The pilgrimage comes at a time when Iraq is dealing with difficult economic conditions after the war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has disrupted Iraqi oil exports. More than 90% of Iraqi state revenues come from oil exports, leaving the economy highly exposed to any disruption in crude shipments. At the same time, Baghdad is trying to disarm the country's network of militias. One of the most powerful Iran-backed groups, Kataib Hezbollah, said in a statement marking Arbaeen that it rejected calls to disarm and remained committed to retaining what it called the "weapons of the resistance."

In Iran, many observant Shiites who could not travel to Karbala held their own observances, some of which took on a political tone. In Tehran, black-clad mourners marched along a nearly 20-km route to a Shiite holy shrine in the south of the city from a starting point in the centre. They chanted slogans calling for retaliation for the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in strikes by the US and Israel, and some demonstrators trampled on US and Israeli flags. State media said similar rallies were held in other Iranian cities and towns, as Arbaeen was marked across the region against a backdrop of tension, economic pressure and political strain.

With PTI Inputs

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