US-Iran War Halts Pilgrims, 80% of Hotels in Iraq's Holy City of Najaf Close
The US-Iran conflict has severely impacted religious tourism in Iraq, leading to an 80% closure rate for hotels in the holy city of Najaf due to a drastic decline in pilgrims. The local economy, heavily reliant on religious tourism, faces collapse.
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- 📰 Published: May 4, 2026 at 13:31
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US-Iran War Key News
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Najaf, 4th, comprehensive foreign report) The US-Iran war has impacted Iraq's religious tourism industry. The Imam Ali Shrine in the holy city of Najaf, once bustling with pilgrims, is now deserted, causing immense hardship for local businesses and hotel operators.
According to Agence France-Presse, Iraq's holy cities of Najaf and Karbala are major religious tourist destinations, attracting millions of Shiite Muslims from around the world annually.
However, since the US-Iran war began in late February this year, it has cut off the flow of pilgrims from Iran, Lebanon, Gulf countries, India, Afghanistan, and other regions.
Businesses and hotel operators near the Imam Ali Shrine are idle, waiting anxiously for the return of crowds and the revival of their businesses.
Jewelry store owner Abdel Rahim Harmoush said that Najaf citizens "live off religious tourism." He added, "In the past, whether jewelers, cloth merchants, or taxi drivers, Iranian tourists always kept us busy. Now, there's not a single person."
He warned that if the crisis continues, the economy could face collapse, as shop owners cannot pay rent and taxes, taxi drivers have no customers, and laborers will be jobless.
Saeb Abu Ghneim, head of the Najaf Hotel Association, told Agence France-Presse that 80% of Najaf's 250 hotels have ceased operations, and over 2,000 employees have been laid off or put on unpaid leave. He stated that the local religious tourism income primarily comes from Iranian tourists, followed by Lebanese and other foreign tourists who are also trapped at home due to the war.
Religious tourism is a significant source of non-oil economic income for Iraq.
In Karbala, another major holy city in Iraq, the situation is equally bleak. Israa al-Nasrawi, chairman of the Karbala Tourism Committee, said: "The situation is very dangerous... it's simply a disaster."
Al-Nasrawi said that the war has severely hit Karbala's economy, with tourist numbers plummeting by about 95%, forcing hundreds of hotels to close. (Compiler: Chang Ming-hsuan) 1150504
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Najaf, 4th, comprehensive foreign report) The US-Iran war has impacted Iraq's religious tourism industry. The Imam Ali Shrine in the holy city of Najaf, once bustling with pilgrims, is now deserted, causing immense hardship for local businesses and hotel operators.
According to Agence France-Presse, Iraq's holy cities of Najaf and Karbala are major religious tourist destinations, attracting millions of Shiite Muslims from around the world annually.
However, since the US-Iran war began in late February this year, it has cut off the flow of pilgrims from Iran, Lebanon, Gulf countries, India, Afghanistan, and other regions.
Businesses and hotel operators near the Imam Ali Shrine are idle, waiting anxiously for the return of crowds and the revival of their businesses.
Jewelry store owner Abdel Rahim Harmoush said that Najaf citizens "live off religious tourism." He added, "In the past, whether jewelers, cloth merchants, or taxi drivers, Iranian tourists always kept us busy. Now, there's not a single person."
He warned that if the crisis continues, the economy could face collapse, as shop owners cannot pay rent and taxes, taxi drivers have no customers, and laborers will be jobless.
Saeb Abu Ghneim, head of the Najaf Hotel Association, told Agence France-Presse that 80% of Najaf's 250 hotels have ceased operations, and over 2,000 employees have been laid off or put on unpaid leave. He stated that the local religious tourism income primarily comes from Iranian tourists, followed by Lebanese and other foreign tourists who are also trapped at home due to the war.
Religious tourism is a significant source of non-oil economic income for Iraq.
In Karbala, another major holy city in Iraq, the situation is equally bleak. Israa al-Nasrawi, chairman of the Karbala Tourism Committee, said: "The situation is very dangerous... it's simply a disaster."
Al-Nasrawi said that the war has severely hit Karbala's economy, with tourist numbers plummeting by about 95%, forcing hundreds of hotels to close. (Compiler: Chang Ming-hsuan) 1150504
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.