Iran Pushing Large Pilgrimage To Iraq To Show Influence

A large number of the pilgrims start their journey from other religious cities – such as Najaf and Kadhimiya -- and walk on foot for days – hundreds of kilometers -- to reach Karbala. There are no reliable methods for tallying the number of visitors to Iraqi holy Shia sites during Arbaeen. In 2019, before the pandemic, an estimated 15 million people from various countries attended the ceremonies.