TEHRAN – During the negotiations Saudi Arabia refused to give guarantees to protect the safety and dignity of the Iranian Hajj pilgrims, head of Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization said late on Tuesday.

“We had to ask them how they wanted to stop such deadly events from happening again,” Saeed Owhadi said in reference to the hajj stampede in September 2015 in which about 460 Iranian pilgrims were killed.

“To guarantee the safety of the pilgrims, Iran offered 20 plans. But reacting to our security plans, the Saudi Hajj minister said safety is just a word in the political jargon, adding they were not able to consider our proposals,” the official stated, ISNA reported.

SP/PA