Iran’s President Cuts New York Visit Short Following Mina Tragedy

TEHRAN (IQNA) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will return from his New York trip earlier than scheduled to attend a ceremony for the return of bodies of Iranian pilgrims who died in a crush in Saudi Arabia last week.

Parviz Esmaeili, the deputy for communications and information at the president’s office, made the announcement, adding that President Rouhani will leave the US city for Tehran on Monday afternoon.

The president is in New York to attend and deliver a speech at the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Esmaeili noted that President Rouhani has been in contact with the vice-president and other officials since his arrival in New York to pursue the status of Iranian Hajj pilgrims.

About 2000 pilgrims were killed in the Thursday crush in Mina, near Makkah, when performing religious rites.

So far, 169 Iranian pilgrims have been pronounced dead and near a hundred others are confirmed to have been wounded in the tragic event.

At least 296 Iranian nationals who went missing after the tragedy are still unaccounted for.

http://iqna.ir/fa/News/3372558