Riyadh responsible for Mecca crane collapse: Iran
Iran has reiterated that the Saudi government is responsible for the recent construction crane crash incident in the holy city of Mecca that claimed the lives of over 100 pilgrims.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Friday criticized the negligence on the part of relevant Saudi authorities and their failure to ensure the necessary protection for pilgrims.
The construction crane fell on the city’s Grand Mosque in early September, killing nearly 110 people and injuring about 400 more.
According to the figures released by Iran's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, 11 Iranian pilgrims were among the deceased and 32 of the injured were also Iranian nationals.
Amir-Abdollahian offered his condolences to the families of victims, saying the bodies of seven of the Iranian pilgrims are to be transferred to the country later on Friday.
He said Iran will continue to send pilgrims to Saudi Arabia on Umrah (lesser pilgrimage) only if the safety and security of Iranian pilgrims are guaranteed and the two Saudi officers who abused two Iranian pilgrims in the city of Jeddah earlier this year are brought to justice.
While performing body search on passengers at the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah back in April, the two Saudi officers reportedly sounded off the alarm at the gate, took the Iranian teenagers - aged 14 and 15 - away and subjected them to indecent acts.
The Associated Press reported in June that the culprits had been sentenced to four years in jail and 1,000 lashes each for the abuse.
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