Iran Decries Lack of Saudi Cooperation on Mina Tragedy

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif complained about Saudi Arabia’s insufficient cooperation on restoring the rights of families of the Iranian Hajj pilgrims who lost their lives in a September crush of people in Mina, near Mecca.

The necessary measures should be taken to protect the rights of families of the victims in the Mina tragedy, Zarif told reporters on Tuesday, noting that Iran is pursuing the case.

“However” the minister added “Saudi Arabia is not cooperating sufficiently.”

He said Iran is in contact with other countries whose citizens were killed in the disaster to find a way to address the issue.

“We are gathering clues about the Mina disaster and have emphasized that there should be investigation to make it clear what has happened (in Mina),” Zarif added.

The September 24 crush in Mina, which happened when pilgrims from around the world were performing the Hajj rites, killed thousands of Hajj pilgrims, including 464 Iranians.

Several Iranian pilgrims, including the country’s former ambassador to Lebanon Ghazanfar Roknabadi, are still unaccounted for after the deadly crush.