October 15, The Iran Project - Following widening its rift with Iran, the Saudi Directorate General for Passports said it put Iran on its travel blacklist, banning Saudi citizens from traveling to the country.

The Saudi Directorate General for Passports posted a message on its Twitter account saying Saudi citizens are forbidden to travel to certain countries, including Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

There are penalties for those who violate the rule, including three-year travel ban and financial penalty of 10 thousand Saudi Rial, it added.

Putting Iran and some other countries on its travel blacklist, Saudi Arabia is trying to draw international attention while it, as a state sponsor of terrorism, is condemned for killing the innocent people in Yemen and supporting Takfiri terrorists.

Al Saud regime created obstacles to prevent the dispatch of Iranian pilgrims to this year’s Hajj rituals so Iran said performing the Hajj ritual this year is virtually impossible because of Saudi Arabia’s refusal to guarantee the safety of pilgrims.

Hundreds of people lost their lives in the deadly incident in Mina which took place on September 24, 2015 when two large masses of pilgrims converged at a crossroads during the symbolic ceremony of the stoning of Satan in Jamarat.

Saudi Arabia claims nearly 770 people were killed in the incident, but officials at Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization say about 4,700 people, including more than 460 Iranian pilgrims, lost their lives.