Afghan Arba’een Pilgrimage Canceled Due to New Iranian Visa Policies

Afghan Arba’een Pilgrimage Canceled Due to New Iranian Visa Policies
——————————-
The Afghan Arba’een Committee has officially canceled the departure of Afghan pilgrims for the upcoming Arba’een 2025 ceremony. The decision was made in response to new and “unenforceable, illogical, and discriminatory” visa policies imposed by the Iranian embassy in Kabul.

According to a report from Shia Waves, the new conditions include a mandatory $500 guarantee payment per pilgrim, the required use of Iranian domestic buses, and restrictions on issuing visas to individuals under 18 and to large families. The number of authorized travel agencies was also limited to just twenty.

The Afghan Arba’een Committee has issued a 24-hour deadline for the Iranian embassy to review and amend its policies, stating that if the changes are not made, all passports will be returned and the pilgrimage process will be completely halted. This decision has caused significant concern and disappointment among Afghan pilgrims, who traditionally make up a large portion of the Arba’een pilgrimage population.