United States and Saudi aircraft struck PMF sites across seven Iraqi provinces, killing at least 20 personnel days before Arbaeen as millions of peaceful worshippers travel toward Karbala.

War has crushed the pilgrimage economy in Najaf and Karbala, leaving Shia families, hotel workers, shopkeepers, taxi drivers, vendors, and tour operators under heavy financial strain. As pilgrim numbers collapse, the silence around Iraq’s shrine cities now carries a second burden: economic hardship. The crisis shows how deeply ziyarat supports daily life in these sacred cities and how quickly war can disrupt both devotion and survival.