Tehran Confirms Death of Ex-Lebanon Envoy Roknabadi in Hajj Stampede

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

Tehran announced on Thursday that four of its diplomats, including its former Lebanese ambassador, were killed in the hajj stampede in Saudi Arabia, reported the Iranian Students News Agency (Isna).

The news agency ended days of speculation over the fate of former envoy Ghazanfar Roknabadi, 49, who was attending the annual Muslim gathering.

Earlier on Thursday Iran nearly doubled its death toll from last week's hajj pilgrimage stampede to 464, saying there was no hope of finding pilgrims missing after the tragedy.

Until last year, Roknabadi was Tehran's envoy to Beirut, a highly sensitive post.

He served in the post from 2010 to 2014.

Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli visited Roknabadi's family in Tehran on Thursday and sent president Hassan Rouhani's condolences, Isna reported.

Iranian foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham denied reports by some Arab media that he had traveled to Saudi Arabia under a false name.

"He entered with a normal passport to perform the hajj" and "his identity and that of other missing pilgrims have been provided to Saudi Arabia," she said.

Iranian media published a photo of his passport with a Saudi visa.

Saudi and Iranian health ministers agreed after days of fierce debate to repatriate Iranian pilgrims killed in the stampede.

M.T.

G.K.

Comments 16
Thumb kataebi1965 01 October 2015, 12:36

Good riddance

Thumb EagleDawn 01 October 2015, 12:45

I hope this sectarian terrorist did not suffer too much while he was being stampeded :D
for sure made my and mowaten's week!

Thumb marcus 01 October 2015, 12:47

Hashem Al Salman to you we say "Justice has been Served"
RIP Hashem

Thumb janoubi 01 October 2015, 12:55

straight to hell

Thumb skeletor 01 October 2015, 13:10

A week ago, envoy Ghazanfar Roknabadi checked in to our VIP section down here and asked to be assigned permanent envoy of the Islamic Republic of Iran to my Kingdom. He presented his credentials and I accepted rather quickly.

Thumb galaxy 01 October 2015, 13:14

the world is a better place with one less evil terrorist... RIP hashem salman.

Default-user-icon illegitimate & illiterate.southern (Guest) 01 October 2015, 13:14

please, i hope you are not planning a hajj trip. Delay it please
We need you on this forum
But well said

Thumb justin 01 October 2015, 13:18

قتيل جديد لـ”حزب الله” في سوريا
ودّع الحزب وأهالي بلدة سلعا الجنوبية غالب كمال نعيم (بدر) قبل ظهر الخميس.
http://www.lebanese-forces.com/2015/10/01/hezbollah-232/

Thumb justin 01 October 2015, 13:19

11:53"الميادين": الطائرات الروسية استهدفت معاقل لجيش الفتح في ريفي جسر الشغور وحماة وجبل الزاوية بـ30 غارة.
southern, are the Russians still attacking ISIS you think?

Thumb justin 01 October 2015, 13:22

وزير الصحة الإيراني: حادث منى خارج عن إرادة السعودية

اتفق وزيرا الصحة السعودي والإيراني في اجتماع بجدة على نقل جثامين الإيرانيين الذين قضوا في حادث التدافع بمشعر منى صباح عيد الأضحى، كما تم الاتفاق على الاستمرار بالتواصل للتعرف على البقية ورعاية حالة المصابين.
جاء ذلك خلال اجتماع عقده وزير الصحة المهندس خالد بن عبدالعزيز الفالح ونظيره الإيراني حسن هاشمي الأربعاء في جدة، تطرق إلى العلاقات الثنائية بين البلدين، إضافة إلى الحالة الصحية للحجاج الإيرانيين وآلية نقل الذين قضوا في حادث التدافع بمشعر منى صباح عيد الأضحى، وكذلك متابعة علاج المصابين في مستشفيات المملكة.
الوزير الإيراني، من جانبه، أثنى على جهود المملكة والاستجابة في التعامل مع الحادث وتقديمها كل الخدمات الصحية والإسعافية، مضيفاً أن حادث التدافع خارج عن إرادة السعودية.
موقف وزير الصحة الإيراني يأتي بعد تهديد المرشد الأعلى الإيراني علي خامنئي السعودية أمس بعد حملة إيرانية شاملة ضد المملكة.

Thumb Mystic 01 October 2015, 14:06

Allah yer7amo

Thumb Maxx 03 October 2015, 03:10

Meen? Hashem Al Salman?

Thumb eli-g 01 October 2015, 14:07

ya haram rah da3es.

Thumb shab 01 October 2015, 17:55

Send them back on the Iranian "fishing boat"

Thumb fadson 02 October 2015, 15:34

RIP hashm salman. Justic of God is served indeed

Thumb fadson 02 October 2015, 15:34

Yaret sayed khawal. He does not dare getting out of his rat hole, let alone doing his hajj obligation.