Pilgrims kick off hajj as war's trajectory hangs in the balance
Muslim pilgrims prostrate as they offer evening prayers around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest site in the holy city of Mecca during the annual hajj pilgrimage, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Over 1.5 million Muslims began filling a vast tent city in the holy city of Mecca on Monday for an annual hajj pilgrimage carried out against the backdrop of hopes for an end to the war in the Middle East.
The white-robed pilgrims on buses or on foot 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.
The start of the hajj came as U.S. 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.
