Over 1.5 million Muslim faithful began filling a vast tent city in the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia on Monday for the annual hajj pilgrimage against the backdrop of hopes for an end to the Iran war.
The white-robed pilgrims arrived at the sprawling encampment in Mina after performing the "tawaf" — walking seven times around the Kaaba, the giant black cube at Mecca's Grand Mosque.
As pilgrims arrived, temperatures reached 45 degrees Celsius in the area and Saudi health authorities urged hajj participants to use umbrellas and reduce sun exposure to prevent heat exhaustion.
The start of the hajj came as US President Donald Trump continued to send mixed signals over a possible agreement to extend an uneasy ceasefire with Iran and a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump later took to his social media platform Truth Social to declare, "The deal with Iran will either be a great and meaningful one, or there will be no deal."
This year's rites, drawing Muslim worshippers from across the world, including Iran, follow waves of Iranian attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia and its Gulf neighbours.
Saudi officials have been keen to keep conflict far from visitors' minds, many of whom have travelled long distances for one of the world's largest annual pilgrimages and one of the five main pillars of the Muslim faith.
Despite the uncertainty triggered by the conflict, Saudi officials noted over the weekend that more pilgrims had travelled from abroad to participate in this year’s hajj than in 2025.
But amid the spiritual significance of the pilgrimage in the days leading up to the hajj, authorities in the kingdom signalled their readiness to fend off any attack.
A video posted on social media by the Saudi defence ministry showed advanced air defence batteries positioned on the outskirts of Mecca.
"The air defence forces are responsible for protecting the skies over the holy sites and dealing with all aerial threats, ensuring the safety and peace of mind of the guests," read the post.
Many pilgrims who spoke to the AFP news agency expressed their hope that peace would prevail soon.
"The war in Iran has affected the entire world. Nobody wants wars or harm to countries and peoples," said Mohammed Chahada, an Egyptian in his 50s, as he walked through a crowd exiting the Grand Mosque.
Pilgrimage an obligation
According to the basic tenets of Islam, the hajj must be performed at least once by all faithful with the means to do so.
During the hajj, men wear a seamless shroud-like white garment that emphasises unity among believers regardless of their social status or nationality. Women must wear loose dresses that expose only their faces and hands.
After the first step of the hajj, which is walking seven times around the Kaaba, pilgrims next walk seven times between Safa and Marwa, two points inside Mecca’s Grand Mosque complex.
They then move on to Mina, around 5 kilometres away, ahead of the main rite of the pilgrimage at Mount Arafat.
On Tuesday, the pinnacle of the hajj is the gathering on Mount Arafat, about 10 kilometres from Mina, where it is believed the Prophet Muhammad delivered his final sermon.
Despite the heat and the uncertainty over the war, pilgrims in Mecca were elated.
"I have wanted to perform the pilgrimage my entire life, for 40 or 50 years," said Jreish Mohammed, a 68-year-old wearing the traditional attire from his native Morocco.
"And this year, my dream came true," Mohammed said.
