Iranian Deputy FM: Efforts Underway to Determine Fate of Ex-Envoy
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Iranian deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs announced that efforts are underway to find the former ambassador to Lebanon, who went missing after a deadly crush in Mina, Saudi Arabia.
The former Iranian ambassador to Lebanon Ghazanfar Roknabadi is still among the missing nationals in the tragic event in Mina, Hossein Amir Abdollahian said on Wednesday.
He added that efforts are continuing to determine the fate of the diplomat and other missing Iranians.
Roknabadi, who served as Iran’s ambassador to Beirut from 2010 to 2014, remains unaccounted for following the huge crush in Mina, Saudi Arabia.
According to Iranian officials, about 4,700 pilgrims were killed in the crush in Mina on September 24 when performing religious rites. With the death toll rising, many pilgrims are still unaccounted for in the incident that marked the worst Hajj disaster in 25 years.
So far, at least 239 Iranian pilgrims have been pronounced dead in the disaster. This is while some 240 Iranians have gone missing.
The incident came nearly two weeks after tens of Hajj pilgrims were killed in another tragic incident in Mecca.
On September 11, a massive construction crane crashed into Mecca’s Grand Mosque in stormy weather, killing at least 107 people, including 11 Iranians, and injuring 201 others.
