Syria’s Ministry of Awqaf said two aircraft carrying nearly 700 Syrian pilgrims from Madinah were diverted to Amman after airspace disruptions linked to the latest exchange of attacks between Iran and Israel.

The ministry said the passengers were transferred by bus from Jordan to Syria, with each vehicle carrying between 35 and 40 pilgrims destined for Damascus and Aleppo.

The disruption followed temporary airspace closures by both Syria and Iraq after Iran launched missiles toward Israel and Israel responded with airstrikes overnight. Iraqi authorities initially announced a 72-hour closure of national airspace on Sunday before later reopening it. Despite the reopening, several commercial flights across the region remained canceled.

The delays underscore the continuing impact of the regional conflict on civilian aviation networks across the Middle East, where airlines have repeatedly altered routes or suspended services because of security concerns.

Syrian authorities said approximately 24,500 Syrians participated in this year’s Hajj pilgrimage to Makkah and Madinah, which concluded in late May.

The first group of returning pilgrims arrived in Damascus last week aboard a Syrian Airlines flight from Jeddah carrying 134 passengers, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency.

The conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States has increasingly affected regional transportation and aviation infrastructure, forcing airlines and authorities to adjust operations amid recurring missile, drone and airstrike activity across the Middle East.

Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is expected to begin on May 25 this year in the holy city of Makkah. For many Muslims in the Philippines, where they make up around 10 percent of the country’s predominantly Catholic population of 110 million, the pilgrimage requires years of preparation due to high travel and accommodation costs.

Rasmia Paniorotan, 59, from Marawi, said she had nearly given up hope of performing Hajj after losing her home and business during the 2017 siege that devastated the southern Philippine city.“When ground zero happened, everything was destroyed. We lost everything our home, our business,” Paniorotan said, adding that her daughter had been supporting the family since.

Earlier this year, her daughter surprised her by arranging the pilgrimage for both parents.“One day, she told us to prepare our passports. We asked why, and when she said it was for Hajj, we wondered where we would get the money,” Paniorotan said. “She only said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.’

She said leaving for Saudi Arabia on Friday was an emotional moment.“I thought we would never be able to go. I lost hope,” she said. “No matter what happens, I am going to Makkah.”According to Zainoden Usudan, head of the pilgrimage bureau at the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, financial readiness remains the biggest barrier for many applicants.

The cost of performing Hajj can reach 350,000 Philippine pesos, or about $5,700, a significant amount for many households, particularly in Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago, where most Filipino Muslims reside.“Some save for years for this once-in-a-lifetime journey,” Usudan said. “Before qualifying for Hajj, you must be physically, mentally and financially prepared.

Among these, financial readiness is the most difficult.”Soraya Marandacan, a school nurse from Marawi, said she spent nearly a decade saving small amounts from her monthly salary and bonuses to fund her pilgrimage.

“I would set aside 5,000 or 10,000 pesos every month until I was able to save enough,” she said.Her plans were delayed by the prolonged illness of her husband, who died in December 2024 after battling colon cancer. Medical expenses, she said, consumed much of her savings.