The Iranian backed Hezbollah group has banned members from performing the Muslim Hajjpilgrimage in Saudi Arabia this year, a source close to the movement said earlier this week.
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Muslims are expected to perform the Hajj, one of Islam’s five pillars, at least once in their lifetime provided they are fit enough and have the financial means to do so.
The day of Arafat is the one time during the hajj when roughly all pilgrims are in the same place at the same time.
More than 1.8 million gathered from sunrise at the hill and a vast surrounding plain known as Mount Arafat, about 15 kilometres from Mecca. “It’s an indescribable feeling”, said an Egyptian pilgrim who gave her name only as Louza, 45, as a helicopter monitored the throng.
Tensions have been running high between Saudi Arabia and Iran after a stampede left hundreds of people dead previous year.
This is not the first time Iran has boycotted the Hajj, but it comes at a time when tensions with rival Saudi Arabia are at a record high over conflicts in Syria and Yemen where Tehran and Riyadh support opposite sides.
Mina becomes their base, where an expanse of solidly-built white fireproof tents can accommodate 2.6 million pilgrims.
This year’s stoning will start on Monday.
He said the government was putting measures in place to avoid the kind of stampede that happened a year ago, noting that any Pilgrim seen alone in Jamarat would be arrested and would be made to face the highest punishment.
Although Riyadh stuck with a stampede death toll of 769, data from foreign officials in more than 30 countries gave a tally nearly three times higher – at least 2,297.
No figure for the number of bracelets distributed so far has been released.
Officials have been issuing pilgrims with bracelets that digitally store their personal data, after some foreign officials expressed concern about difficulties in identifying the stampede dead.
Despite the safety and security measures which Saudi Arabia says it has taken, Iran has questioned the kingdom’s custodianship of Islam’s holiest places.
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Saudi authorities have stepped up security for the five-day pilgrimage to tightly control the crowd. Mohammed also said apart from the arrest and prosecution of any violating Pilgrim, state officials responsible for the Pilgrim would also face sanction.
