On September 9, millions of Muslims will once again set out on their pilgrimage to Mecca. But one thing will be different than before: Iranians will this time be unable to participate in the so-called Hajj, which ends at the holy site in Saudi Arabia. In the last year, political tensions between the two countries have simply become too great.
Paradoxically, the success of Iranian moderates has played a key role in this escalation. In July 2015, they succeeded in concluding the nuclear deal between Tehran, the current nuclear powers in the U.N. Security Council, Germany and the European Union. As a result, a majority of the U.S. and EU sanctions against Iran were lifted. However, while this step was positive in itself, it has since induced hardliners in Iran and Saudi Arabia to seek to stabilize their supremacy in both countries.