Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned Saudi Arabia’s charge d’affaires Saturday over Thursday stampede in Mina near Mecca that led to the deaths of about 2,000 pilgrims, including 136 Iranians.
The Saudi envoy was summoned to the Foreign Ministry for the third time since the incident and received Tehran’s official protest over Riyadh’s failure to ensure the safety of Hajj pilgrims.
Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said that the responsibility for the deaths of Hajj pilgrims in Mina lies with the Saudi government, calling on Riyadh not to shift the blame onto destiny.
“The Saudis’ refusal to assume responsibility for the Mina disaster is unacceptable,” he said.
He also deplored as “not satisfactory” the handling of the situation in Saudi Arabia following the deadly incident.
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