Regional war silences Iraq's holy cities

Najaf and Karbala, two of Iraq's most revered holy cities, have fallen unusually quiet as the regional war sparked by United States and Israeli strikes on Iran has halted the steady flow of foreign pilgrims. Once crowded with millions of Shia Muslims each year, the shrines of Imam Ali in Najaf and Imam Hussein in Karbala now see mostly local visitors, leaving markets, hotels and currency exchanges largely deserted.

Religious tourism, a crucial pillar of Iraq's non oil economy, has been severely disrupted. In Najaf, about 80 percent of hotels have closed, and more than 2,000 workers have been laid off or placed on unpaid leave. Shopkeepers, hotel owners and tour operators say they are struggling to cover rent and salaries as visitors from Iran, Lebanon and other countries remain absent.

Karbala faces a similar crisis, with officials estimating a 95 percent drop in tourist numbers and hundreds of hotel closures. Even after a fragile ceasefire and the reopening of Iraqi airspace, businesses report only a slight improvement. Many in the sector warn that if the conflict drags on, long standing livelihoods built around religious tourism could collapse entirely.