Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said the Saudi Arabian government should accept responsibility for a crush outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca on Thursday that killed more than 700 worshippers performing the haj pilgrimage.
“The Saudi government should accept the responsibility of this sorrowful incident … Mismanagement and improper actions have caused this catastrophe,” Khamenei said in a statement published on his website.
Earlier, the deputy foreign minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian said Saudi’s envoy to Tehran would be summoned to the foreign ministry.
A brief history of disasters at Mecca and Medina
The head of Iran’s Hajj organisation, Said Ohadi, said that, for “unknown reasons,” two paths had been closed off near the site of a symbolic stoning of the devil ritual where the stampede occurred.
“This caused this tragic incident,” he said on state television, according to the Associated Press news agency.
The names of all Iranians killed in the stampede were read out in a sombre live broadcast in Tehran by a spokesman for the Hajj organisation.
Ohadi said the path closures had left only three routes to the area where the stoning ceremony was held in Mina, about 5km from Mecca.
‘Lack of serious attention’
“Today’s incident shows mismanagement and lack of serious attention to the safety of pilgrims,” said Ohadi.
“There is no other explanation. The Saudi officials should be held accountable.”
Abdollahian also accused Saudi officials of “tactlessness” over the lack of safety measures at the Hajj.
“We can in no way be indifferent to this irresponsible behaviour of Saudi Arabia. This will be dealt with through diplomatic channels,” he said on state television.
Saudi Health Minister Khaled al-Falih has blamed undisciplined pilgrims for the tragedy, saying it could have been avoided if they had “followed instructions.”
Iran has set up a special headquarters at the accident site to support Iranian pilgrims.
