Abdollah Bahrami, the head of Imam Reza Hospital in Mashhad, reported that after 23 Saudi pilgrims were hospitalized on Sunday morning, June 17, due to poisoning, a 14-year-old girl and two three-year-old children have died. Meanwhile, the Mehr News Agency, in a report referencing the agency's statement on 'baseless speculations' regarding the 'intentionality' of this incident, quoted Gholamali Sadeghi, the prosecutor of Mashhad, stating that no evidence of 'intent' in the poisoning of these individuals has been found so far. According to the state news agency IRNA, Abdollah Bahrami said: 'These pilgrims, who traveled from Saudi Arabia to Mashhad as part of a pilgrimage tour, included 9 women and 14 men who were transferred to Imam Reza Hospital at 6 AM today with symptoms of dizziness, vomiting, nausea, and low blood pressure.' Mr. Bahrami stated that three of these individuals, including a 14-year-old girl and two three-year-old children, died due to 'lower bodily resistance,' while the others are hospitalized in the intensive care unit. According to Mehr News Agency, these individuals were staying at one of the hotel apartments in Mashhad. The news agency wrote that the publication of the poisoning incident has 'led many baseless speculations to elevate the hypothesis of intentionality of this incident to the forefront of public discourse.' The news agency did not provide further details about the 'speculations' and simultaneously quoted Gholamali Sadeghi, the public and revolutionary prosecutor of Mashhad, stating that investigations have begun and so far 'no evidence of intent in the poisoning of these individuals has been found.' According to IRNA, some sources speculated that the poisoning was due to food consumption, while others suggested it was due to pesticide spraying in the hotel rooms, and official sources have stated that the cause is under investigation and will be announced soon. The report on these 'speculations' comes at a time when Mahmoud Alavi, Iran's Minister of Intelligence, stated on June 8 that 'takfiri elements intended to poison the food of one of the large delegations in Tehran,' which were 'identified, targeted, and did not have the opportunity to carry out the plot.'
Poisoning of 23 Saudi Pilgrims in Iran and Death of Three
Twenty-three Saudi pilgrims were hospitalized in Iran due to poisoning, resulting in the deaths of three individuals, including a 14-year-old girl. Investigations are ongoing, with officials denying any evidence of intentional poisoning despite public speculation. This incident raises concerns about the safety of foreign visitors in Iran and the potential for political ramifications.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Twenty-three Saudi pilgrims were hospitalized in Iran after experiencing symptoms of poisoning, leading to the deaths of three individuals, including a young girl. Investigations are ongoing, with officials denying any evidence of intentional poisoning despite public speculation.
- Three individuals died due to poisoning, including a 14-year-old girl and two three-year-old children.
- Officials are investigating the cause, with theories ranging from food poisoning to pesticide exposure.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iran and Saudi Arabia have a long-standing rivalry, and incidents involving citizens from either country can escalate tensions. Pilgrimage tourism is significant for Iran's economy.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%