On Monday, Khamenei raised the stakes in the dispute by saying Saudi officials had “murdered” hajj pilgrims who were injured in the stampede.
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Iran said 464 nationals died in last year’s crush, the largest number of dead by nationality. “Everybody has a heart'”.
Iranian officials have called on Muslims flocking to Mecca from around the world to punish the Saudis for allowing the September 24 stampede and crush of pilgrims previous year that killed at least 2,300 people, including 464 Iranians.
The stampede legacy has contributed to renewed tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which is not sending pilgrims for the first time in almost three decades.
It follows controversy sparked by his remarks that Iranians were “not Muslims”.
Saudi Arabia has countered that Tehran made “unacceptable” demands during the talks, including the right to organise demonstrations “that would cause chaos”.
Pilgrims from overseas are expected to number more than 1.4 million. No conclusions are released although an investigation has been announced by it.
Three more Egyptian pilgrims have died in Saudi Arabia, with the death toll of Egyptian pilgrims reaching 15 on Thursday. Iran did not send pilgrims to the hajj in 1988 and 1989, while Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic ties over the violence and Iranian attacks on shipping in the Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq war.
“What happened past year is unacceptable”.
Thousands in Tehran yesterday protested their country’s absence from the pilgrimage.
“Last year we had those verses in the Koran too”.
“The authorities did a great deal to control the situation then – and allowed the hajj to carry on”, one Saudi citizen told MEE on condition of anonymity.
Following preliminary rituals at the Grand Mosque in Mecca earlier this week, the pilgrims will on Saturday make their way by bus, train or on foot in soaring temperatures of 40C to Mina, about 5km to the east.
Water-resistant and connected to Global Positioning System, the devices will also instruct worshippers on timings of prayers and a multilingual help desk will guide pilgrims around the various rituals.
He however called for more collaborative efforts between the state pilgrims welfare boards and the commission to ensure that pilgrims abide strictly to Saudi regulations. “There are always concerns when travelling to another country”.
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Space issues should improve after expansion in Mecca is completed, say Saudi authorities.
