Iranian leader threatens Saudi Arabia over hajj dead

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatened a “fierce” reaction Wednesday if Saudi Arabia does not quickly repatriate victims of last week’s hajj stampede.

“Saudi officials are failing to do their duties,” Khamenei said in a speech to graduating navy officers following delays in the return of more than 200 Iranian bodies. “If Iran wants to react… our response will be fierce.”

Iran summoned the Saudi envoy to Tehran for the fourth time to protest over what the Shiite powerhouse describes as the Sunni kingdom’s “mishandling” of the deadly crush.

Iran’s English language Press TV on Wednesday quoted foreign ministry official Ali Chegini as warning Riyadh against any delays in the identification of the missing Iranian pilgrims and the repatriation of the bodies of those who died in the disaster.

Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian told the official IRNA news agency that the families of the killed Iranian pilgrims do not agree that their kin be buried on Saudi soil.

Saudi Arabia says 769 died in the stampede near Mecca. It was the worst disaster to strike the annual pilgrimage in a quarter-century.

Iranian media has put the death toll as high as 4,000, but has not offered corroborating evidence for the higher count.