In pictures: Middle East celebrates Eid under the shadow of Iran war

Muslim worshippers gather around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque complex in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca on 20 March 2026 for the early morning prayers for Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan (AFP)
 

A Muslim devotee attends morning prayers celebrating the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, at the Mary Mother of Jesus Mosque in Abu Dhabi early on 20 March 2026 (Ryan Lim/AFP)

For the first time since Israel seized East Jerusalem in 1967, Palestinians have been barred from performing Eid al-Fitr prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest site. A leading Palestinian Islamic cleric has issued a fatwa calling for Eid prayers outside the mosque in Jerusalem on Friday. In this photo, Muslim worshippers gather outside Jerusalem's Old City walls for morning prayers (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP)

A Muslim worshipper holds a bouquet of flowers and a prayer mat after early morning prayers for Eid al-Fitr along Salah al-Din street in Jerusalem, 20 March 2026 (John Wessels/AFP)

Israeli security forces walk past Muslim worshippers gathering outside Jerusalem's Old City walls to attend attend early morning prayers for Eid al-Fitr, 20 March 2026 (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP)

A Muslim worshipper at Hajj Bahaa El-Din al-Hariri Mosque Complex in Lebanon's southern city of Saida on the morning of Eid al-Fitr. Israel heavily bombed several southern towns in the south on Friday, and ordered residents of all Lebanese towns located south of the Zahrani River to leave their homes (Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters)

Displaced children from southern Lebanon take part in recreational activities organised by the scouting movement to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, at a shelter school in Sidon, 20 March 2026 (Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP)

Worshippers attend Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Mohammad al-Amin Mosque in Beirut, Lebanon, 20 March 2026 (Raghed Waked/Reuters)

Muslims greet each other outside the Blue Mosque as worshippers attend the morning prayers celebrating Eid al-Fitr in Istanbul, Turkey, 20 March 2026 (Yasin Akgul/AFP)

Muslim women attend Eid al-Fitr prayers the Grand Camlica Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, 20 March 2026 (Dilara Senkaya/Reuters)

A man helps a boy shop for religious skullcaps while shopping in celebration of Eid al-Fitr at a traditional market in Kuwait City on 19 March 2026 (Yasser al-Zayyat/AFP)
 

In Iran, Muslims will observe Eid on Saturday. In this photo taken on 18 March 2026, a volunteer team, which helps people clean and restore their homes after US-Israeli air strikes, sits for the iftar meal during Ramadan in Tehran (Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters)