Hojjatoleslam Gholamreza Ghasemian, a cleric and TV presenter affiliated with the Iranian regime and close to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s household, was recently released after being arrested in Mecca for filming a video that insulted the Saudi government and Sunni beliefs while on Saudi soil.
Ghasemian uploaded the video earlier this week, as he was on pilgrimage in Mecca. He addressed his viewers with a Quranic verse about divine punishment for wrongdoers before launching a sharp critique of conditions in Saudi Arabia’s holy cities.
He sarcastically suggested that viewers could “just travel to Makkah and Madinah” instead of going to Antalya, Turkey, claiming that the Saudis, whom he referred to as “merchants and usurpers” of Mecca, have established “gambling houses, prostitution centers, and raunchy concerts” in the holy cities.
He then proceeded to compare these alleged conditions to “the Umayyad workhouses,” a historical reference to the dynasty of rulers of the seventh- to eighth-century Islamic empire, traditionally viewed in Islamic historiography as having strayed from Islam.
The Iranian cleric emphasized in his video that “what is happening here… represents not just atheism, but the essence of atheism.”
Ghasemian urged his followers: “Don’t be fooled by diplomatic visits,” referring to Saudi-Iranian relations.
איש דת איראני נעצר במכה. הפעם טהראן לא מתרגשת. להפך: היא מוקיעה אותו.שרשור על האירוע שמסעיר את איראן ואת סעודיה.הכל התחיל, כר'לאמרזא קאסמיאן חג'ת אלאסלאם, איראני קיצוני ומזוהה עם המחנה השמרני (קרוב במיוחד ליו"ר המאג'לס מוחמד באקר קאליבף), עלה השבוע לרגל למכה. pic.twitter.com/DRGceKd4lh
— חדשות איראן (@iran_news9) May 28, 2025
He highlighted what he deemed were severe restrictions on pilgrims, suggesting that these conditions signaled that divine intervention was imminent.
Finally, Ghasemian concluded with a prayer that the Shi’ite “Owners of the House [of Allah] would “retake” Mecca out of the hands of the “merchants and usurpers of the Qibla.”
The countries decided to sustain a diplomatic atmosphere
Strikingly, Iranian state media reported the arrest as a result of “comments Ghasemian made regarding the situation in Mecca and Madina,” without disclosing any further information regarding the defamatory content of his address and without posting the video he made.
Despite Ghasemian’s defamatory comments and the backlash they drew on social media, the countries decided to sustain a de-escalated diplomatic atmosphere.
During Ghasemian’s arrest, Alireza Enayati, Iran’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, lauded Saudi Arabian authorities for “making every effort to serve Iranian pilgrims.” Without referring directly to the arrest, he said: “Iranian pilgrims respect the sanctity of these places and adhere to the prevailing laws, and no one accepts obscene and offensive words.”
For their part, Saudi state-controlled media outlets maintained a resounding silence, avoiding reports regarding the affair. Ghasemian’s quick release may also signify a will to remain on good terms with Iran, despite the perceived grave offense of bad-mouthing the kingdom.
Ghasemian returned to Iran on Thursday, and local social-media accounts showed crowds celebrating his arrival at the airport. Online users, however, noted that his return from Saudi Arabia at this time means he was prevented from completing the Hajj, as the rituals are still ongoing.