MECCA, SAUDI ARABIA - MAY 26: Prospective pilgrims arrive at the Mount Arafat (Mountain of Mercy) to perform wuquf, considered as the most essential pillar of the Hajj, as Muslims from all over the world continue their worship to fulfill the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on May 26, 2026. Pilgrims arriving in the Arafat area spend the night praying and worshipping. Ali Atmaca / Anadolu (Photo by ALI ATMACA / ANADOLU / Anadolu via AFP)
Huge numbers of Muslims prayed on Mount Arafat on Tuesday at the climax of the hajj pilgrimage, as a punishing desert sun sent temperatures soaring towards 40C.
From daybreak, thousands of white-robed worshippers recited Quranic verses on the 70-metre (230 feet) rocky hill near Mecca, where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have delivered his last sermon.
More than 1.5 million people have joined the hajj this year despite the shadow of war across the Middle East created by the US and Israeli war with Iran.
During the fighting, Tehran retaliated with waves of drone and ballistic missile strikes, hitting major infrastructure and energy installations across the Gulf, including in Saudi Arabia.
