Iran’s Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani says the Saudi government is the main culprit in the deadly incident of September 24 during the Hajj pilgrimage rituals in Mina, outside the holy city of Mecca.

Addressing the Iranian parliament’s open session on Sunday, Larijani stated that Saudi officials’ negligence and mismanagement to fulfill their duties led to the Mina tragedy.

He added that Saudi officials failed to adopt necessary measures after the incident to reduce its adverse consequences.

The Iranian official expressed regret that Saudi Arabia refused to cooperate with Iranian teams seeking to identify those who are still missing. “This is not Islamic hospitality but enmity,” Larijani added.

The Saudi government must know that Muslim nations, particularly Iranians, will never forget such “inappropriate behavior,” the Majlis speaker said.
Rescue workers carry the body of a Muslim pilgrim after a crush at Mina, outside the holy Muslim city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, September 24, 2015. ©Reuters

The Iranian parliament on Sunday held a closed-door session to discuss the tragedy in Mina. Iran’s Minister of Culture Ali Jannati, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli and Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian attended the session.

The fatal human crush broke out in Mina as a large crowd of pilgrims were on their way to participate in the symbolic stoning of Satan, a Hajj ritual.

Saudi Arabia’s Health Ministry has put the death toll from the incident at nearly 770. However, latest figures released by Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization by the noon of Sunday show that 155 Iranian pilgrims have lost their lives in the incident, 103 Iranians have been wounded, and 321 others are still missing.

News ID 187968