Iranian leader threatens Saudi Arabia over hajj dead

But Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman Maj Gen Mansour al-Turki said the pictures included those of people who died of natural causes.

Officials from several countries have claimed that more than 1,000 people died in last week’s stampede at the annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

The petitioner, Arif Idrees, said worldwide media has reported that 286 Pakistani pilgrims died in the incident but officials of the ministry were misleading people by trying to minimise the death toll.

“Representatives from Iran and the Islamic world should go to Saudi Arabia and investigate the cause of the hajj incident”, Khamenei was quoted as saying by Fars news agency.

Hassan Rouhani gave no specific figures in a speech to the United Nation summit.

Veeri said four other pilgrims from the state were missing after the stampede.

The head of Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, Saeed Ohadi, said on Tuesday that 239 Iranian pilgrims have so far been confirmed dead while 241 others are still missing.

The pilgrims expressed satisfaction over the arrangements made by the Government for their smooth travel and stay at the Holy places in Saudi Arabia.

Speaking at a graduation ceremony for Navy officers, Khamenei accused Saudi officials of “slyness”, warning that if they do not return Iranian victims, they will face a harsh retaliation.

Abdullah al-Ali, chief executive of the Kuwait-based electronic security firm Cyberkov, said he couldn’t immediately tell whether the false statement came from a cyberattack.

Prosecutor General Ebrahim Raisi said September 28 that Iran would use all capacities to redeem the rights of those Iranians who suffered from the incident.

He further explained that 12 of the 71 injured pilgrims were transported to Saudi Arabia by tour operators and 59 by state pilgrims’ welfare agencies.

Until now, the deadly disaster has left 769 pilgrims dead and 934 wounded, the minister said at a news conference. He also stated that major Muslim countries should now be involved in managing the Hajj affairs.