During the 2015 hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, more than 2,000 Muslims lost their lives in a stampede in the city of Mina. Nearly 500 of the victims were Iranian pilgrims. One year later, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with the families of those who lost their lives and called for an international investigation into the stampede.
“The events of Mina and the loss of life of Iranian pilgrims with parched lips under the scorching sun is a deeply sorrowful and unforgettable event,” Khamenei said Sept. 7, calling the Iranians who lost their lives “martyrs.”