Iran and Saudi Arabia discuss Haj safety amid rift

TEHRAN // An Iranian delegation has visited Saudi Arabia for talks on the safety of pilgrims after a deadly stampede at last year’s Haj, an official said on Friday.

It is the first dialogue between the two countries since a diplomatic crisis erupted in January.

The head of the Iranian Haj Organisation, Said Ohadi, told Iranian state television that discussions over pilgrims’ welfare began on Thursday in Mecca.

“We asked that ... the safety of Iranian pilgrims be ensured and that pilgrims travel to Saudi Arabia only on Iranian aircraft,” Mr Ohadi was quoted as saying.

The death of hundreds of pilgrims, including 464 Iranians, in the stampede at last year’s Haj caused a major spike in tensions between Tehran and Riyadh, who back opposing sides in the Syrian and Yemeni conflicts.

Riyadh severed diplomatic ties with Iran in January after its diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad were stormed and set alight by mobs angry at the kingdom’s execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

This year’s annual Haj is due to take place in September.

So far, the Riyadh government has not compensated the families of Iranian victims, according to Mr Ohadi.

* Agence France-Presse