Following the outbreak of the Iran–Iraq War, Iranian pilgrims held a political demonstration about Saudi moving in direction of United States and do not take any action against Israel during the Hajj in Mecca. In 1987 they succeeded; however, Saudi police crushed the demonstration violently causing the Iranian pilgrims to riot. Immediately following the riot, Ruhollah Khomeini called for Muslims to avenge the pilgrims' deaths by overthrowing the Saudi royal family. The Saudi government blamed the riot on the Iranian pilgrims and claimed that the pilgrim riot had been part of a plot to destabilize their rule. The following day mobs attacked the Saudi embassies in Tehran.