Lebanon Dy PM condoles Iran on human tragedy in Saudi Arabia

Beirut, Oct 6, IRNA – Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Samir Muqbil attended the Iranian Embassy in Lebanon on Tuesday to condole with Iranian nation and government on sad demise of hundreds of Iranian Hajj pilgrims. In his meeting with Ambassador Mohammad Fat'hail, the Lebanese deputy prime minister expressed the Lebanese government's deep sympathy with the bereaved families of the Iranian Hajj pilgrims. He meanwhile asked the Iranian ambassador about the latest news on the fate of the former Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, Ghazanfar Roknabadi and said that the human tragedy in Mina, Saudi Arabia, in 2015 was a great sorrow. Ambassador Fat'hali appreciated the sincere sympathy expressed by the Lebanese nation, state officials and prominent personalities with the Iranians on the catastrophic Mina disaster arguing that the Saudi government is fully responsible for its occurrence. 'The Saudi government should beg to be pardoned by the Islamic countries, especially those who have lost their Hajj pilgrims in the sad event,' he added. Elsewhere in his talks, the Iranian diplomat criticized those who have considered a catastrophe of the heavy magnitude as a natural event and attributed it to God's will, arguing that the dimension of disaster are so great and both its occurrence could have been avoided and the rescue and relief operations after it could have been carried out to save lives. He said that Roknabadi is among those unaccounted for and that Iran is seriously pursuing fate of the Iranian families loved ones.