FM Condoles Death of Iranian Diplomat in Mina Tragedy

Iran’s foreign minister offered condolences on the death of the country’s former ambassador to Lebanon, Ghazanfar Roknabadi, who was confirmed to have been killed in a September crush of Hajj pilgrims in Mina, near Saudi Arabia’s Mecca.

In a message on Thursday, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sent his deep condolences to the family of the former diplomat.

He said the “long process” of pursuing the fate of Mr. Roknabadi, who had gone missing in the Mina catastrophe, is nearing completion after the initial identification of his body.

Zarif also underscored that Iran’s administration continues to make serious efforts to shed light on the fate of each and every one of the missing Iranian pilgrims in Mina and to follow up the issue legally and politically.

The late diplomat’s body is to be repatriated to yej country soon.

According to Iranian officials, about 4,700 pilgrims, including more than 460 Iranians, were killed in the crush in Mina on September 24 when performing religious rites.

Many pilgrims are still unaccounted for following the incident that marked the worst Hajj disaster ever.

Saudi authorities have come under fire for their inability to ensure the safety of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who converge on Mecca every year.