Hajj official: Mina tragedy main topic of current talks with Saudi Arabia
In Teheran, Senior Hajj official said talks with Saudi officials have not been finalized yet and the two sides are still discussing some remaining issues mostly the issue of Iranian martyrs in Mina stampede tragedy in 2015. About 500 Iranian pilgrims were killed during a stampede in 2015 Hajj annual congregation when, according to reports, two large groups of pilgrims arrived together at a crossroads in Mina, a few kilometres east of Mecca, on their way to performing the ‘Stoning of the Devil’ ritual at Jamarat. Pilgrims cannot perform their great religious duty in 2016 due to sabotage of the Saudi officials who not only did not apologize for their mismanagement of Hajj in 2015, but also failed to meet expectations of the Iranian side for resumption of sending the Iranian pilgrims for Hajj rituals.