Iran summons Saudi envoy over Mina crush

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has summoned Saudi Arabia’s chargé d’affaires in Tehran for the fourth time to protest against Riyadh authorities’ mishandling of the recent deadly crush in Mina, near the holy city of Mecca in the kingdom.

On Wednesday, Director General for Consular Affairs at Iran’s Foreign Ministry Ali Chegini warned Riyadh against any indifference and delay in the identification of the missing Iranian Hajj pilgrims and the transfer of the bodies of the victims of the Mina incident to Iran.

Chegini called on the Saudi envoy to facilitate work to return the bodies and establish the fate of the Iranian pilgrims who are still missing six days on since the Hajj crush.

The Iranian official said that the families of the Iranian pilgrims killed in the incident want the bodies of the victims to be transferred to Iran as soon as possible and would not agree to have their loved ones buried on Saudi soil.

On Saturday, Iran summoned the envoy for the third time to call for the return of the bodies of pilgrims and the transfer of the wounded Iranians to medical centers in the country for treatment.

Meanwhile, Hamid Mohammadi, the deputy head of Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, said Tuesday that the work to identify the missing pilgrims is progressing at a snail’s pace due to restrictions in Saudi Arabia.