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TEHRAN: Iran has banned pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia during the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan to prevent the spread of swine flu.
Health Minister Kamaran Baghri Lankarani says the measure has been imposed because of possible outbreaks of the disease among pilgrims.
State radio quoted Lankarani as saying Thursday that the high number of pilgrims who come to Saudi Arabia during Ramadan increases the risk of infection.
Iran has registered 145 cases of swine flu, many of them linked to travels to the kingdom. The first case was a 16-year-old Iranian boy who came from the United States with his parents in late June.
About half a million of Iranians travel to Saudi Arabia on pilgrimages every year.
This year, Ramadan starts in late August