Leader of the Islamic Revolution Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei welcomed the resumption of Hajj rituals after a two-year hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic as a major annunciation.

Iranian officials in charge of conducting Hajj held a meeting with Imam Khamenei at the Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah of Tehran on Wednesday, Tasnim news agency reported.

The meeting was held prior to the Iranian Hajj pilgrims starting their journey to Saudi Arabia to perform the 2022 Hajj pilgrimage.

In remarks at the event, the Leader hailed the resumption of Hajj pilgrimage, saying God Almighty has once again enabled Iranian and foreign pilgrims to perform the sacred ritual.

Describing coexistence as an important characteristic of the Hajj pilgrimage, Imam Khamenei said the religious event provides an opportunity for the pilgrims to get acquainted with the other ones with different cultures, nationalities, colors and languages.

The problems that humans face in the world today, not Muslims alone, have arisen because people do not know how to coexist peacefully and begin to bully and harm each other, the Leader noted, adding that Hajj teaches the pilgrims coexistence during a limited period.

Describing Hajj as the “symbol of unity of the Islamic Ummah”, the Leader emphasized the need to maintain such unity and deplored the attempts to create division between the Shiite and Sunni Muslims.

Imam Khamenei also reminded Saudi Arabia that Mecca belongs to all Muslims, stressing that the Saudi government must act considering the Islamic world’s expediency, not only its own.

The Leader also called on Saudi Arabia to protect the safety of the pilgrims and prevent the recurrence of the past catastrophes.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Ayatollah Khamenei denounced Zionism as the most pressing disaster to the Islamic world, warning the Arab governments which have established ties with the Zionist regime that such a move will be to the detriment of them.

Highlighting the popular opposition to the normalization of ties with the Zionist regime, the Leader said what compels certain governments to hold talks with the Zionists is the US’ demands and pressures.

Iranian pilgrims did not attend Hajj in 2020 and 2021 in the wake of the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.