Iran's FM Zarif Intensifies Diplomatic Contacts after Mina Stampede
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has urged Saudi officials to do all-out efforts to speed up the process of identification of the Iranian nationals killed in a stampede during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mina, near Mecca.
In a message on Thursday evening, the Iranian foreign minister expressed sincere sympathy to the bereaved families of victims.
Zarif said that he had discussed the latest conditions of Iranian victims injured during the huge stampede in phone calls with Saudi officials on Thursday, urging the Saudi government to expedite the process of identification of the Iranian victims and the treatment of injured.
He added that a special task force has been formed by Iran’s Foreign Ministry to address the bitter incident.
According to media reports, at least 1,300 pilgrims were killed Thursday in the stampede outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca, the worst disaster to strike the annual Hajj pilgrimage in 25 years.
Also on Thursday, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei declared 3 days of national mourning over the deaths of hundreds of Hajj pilgrims, asking Saudi authorities to accept responsibility of the incident.
Photographs published on the Twitter feed of the Saudi civil defense Thursday showed pilgrims lying on stretchers while emergency workers in high-visibility jackets lifted them into an ambulance.
The Hajj, the world’s largest annual gathering of people, has been the scene of numerous deadly stampedes, fires and riots in the past.
Safety during Hajj is a politically sensitive issue for the kingdom’s ruling Al Saud dynasty, which presents itself internationally as the custodian of its holiest places in Mecca and Medina.
