According to Iranian news agencies, the body of Ghazanfar Roknabadi, the former Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, who went missing in the Mina incident, has been identified and will be transferred to Tehran on Thursday morning. ISNA news agency learned from reliable sources that Roknabadi's body was identified based on DNA. Previously, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs, announced on Tuesday, December 3, that 'we have reached more clues regarding Mr. Roknabadi's fate.' Some officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran and members of parliament have repeatedly mentioned the possibility of Mr. Roknabadi being alive. Aladdin Boroujerdi, the head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the parliament, stated on October 20 that according to officials from the Foreign Ministry and the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, Mr. Roknabadi was alive during the Mina incident and 'was transferred to the hospital by ambulance,' but subsequently went missing. Morteza Aqa Tehrani, a representative from Tehran in the parliament, also stated on November 4 in a speech that the former ambassador of Iran to Lebanon is 'alive' and has been 'handed over to Israel.' However, Hassan Qashqavi, the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister, considered the possibility of Ghazanfar Roknabadi being kidnapped as 'very weak.' The Mina incident and the issue of Iranian casualties and missing persons have caused tensions between Tehran and Riyadh. Iranian officials previously stated that 465 citizens of this country were killed in the Mina incident. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, accused Saudi officials of failing to fulfill their responsibilities on October 1 and threatened that if Iran were to respond, it would be a harsh and severe reaction. In this context, the mystery of the high number of Iranian casualties in the 2015 Hajj continues, and Iran is pursuing the status of Roknabadi through international authorities.
The Body of Ghazanfar Roknabadi Identified and Will Be Transferred to Iran
The body of Ghazanfar Roknabadi, former Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, has been identified and is set to be returned to Iran after going missing in the Mina incident. Iranian officials have previously speculated about his survival, leading to tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia over the incident. This situation highlights ongoing diplomatic strains and the unresolved issues surrounding Iranian casualties during the Hajj.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
The body of Ghazanfar Roknabadi, who went missing during the Mina incident, has been identified and will be returned to Iran. This development follows various speculations about his fate, which have contributed to tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
- Roknabadi's body was identified through DNA testing.
- The Mina incident resulted in significant Iranian casualties, leading to diplomatic strains with Saudi Arabia.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The Mina incident in 2015 resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Iranian pilgrims, leading to accusations against Saudi authorities and ongoing diplomatic tensions. Roknabadi's case has become emblematic of these unresolved issues.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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