Thousands of Muslim pilgrims on Friday began departing the holy city of Mecca after completing the annual hajj pilgrimage held under intense heat and amid heightened tensions in the Middle East.

More than 1.7 million pilgrims from 165 countries participated in this year’s hajj, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.

The pilgrimage took place against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States, which has raised security concerns across the Gulf region.

Since the outbreak of the conflict earlier this year, Iran has launched several retaliatory drone and missile attacks targeting infrastructure and energy facilities in parts of the Gulf, including Saudi Arabia, which hosts Islam’s holiest sites.

Despite the tensions, over 30,000 Iranian pilgrims attended the hajj, although that figure was significantly lower than the 86,000 initially expected. Iran’s state news agency, IRNA, attributed the decline to the ongoing wartime situation.

Pilgrims on Friday completed the final phase of the symbolic stoning ritual in Mina, where worshippers throw pebbles at pillars representing the devil.

They later returned to the Grand Mosque in Mecca to perform the farewell tawaf, which involves circling the Kaaba seven times before concluding the pilgrimage rites.

Several pilgrims expressed gratitude after successfully completing the spiritual exercise.

Ahmed Mamdouh, a 37-year-old pilgrim from Egypt performing hajj for the first time, said he was relieved to complete the rites safely despite the harsh weather conditions.

An Algerian pilgrim, Al-Zaoui, described the experience as the fulfilment of a lifelong dream he shared with his wife after five decades of marriage.

The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and is mandatory for Muslims who are physically and financially able to undertake the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.

This year’s exercise was again marked by extreme temperatures, following the 2024 hajj during which more than 1,300 pilgrims reportedly died as temperatures exceeded 50 degrees Celsius.

In response, Saudi authorities introduced additional heat-control measures, including expanded shaded areas and increased medical support personnel.

The Saudi Red Crescent said it had provided emergency medical assistance to more than 83,000 people since the start of the pilgrimage season.