Reuters Iran and Saudi Arabia sought to tone down a war of words over last week’s haj disaster, with Riyadh offering condolences to its regional rival over what Tehran said on Thursday were 464 Iranians killed in the crush near Mecca. Saudi and Iranian media said the message of sympathy was delivered on Wednesday at a meeting between the two countries’ health ministers in the Saudi Red Sea port city of Jeddah. “The meeting was positive and the Saudi Minister announced the King’s condolences to the Supreme Leader, and the government and people of Iran,” Iranian Health Minister Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA. Iran has been vocal in its criticism of Saudi Arabia for the Sept. 24 disaster at the annual Muslim pilgrimage, with officials accusing the kingdom of lack of cooperation over identifying the victims and transferring their bodies back home. Iranian officials have alleged the overall total death toll is more than 1,000. Saudi Arabia has confirmed the deaths of 769 people. Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei warned on Wednesday of “the harshest reaction” should Iranians be disrespected. The Shi’ite theocracy is an arch foe of Sunni Muslim bastion Saudi Arabia.Iran had said 239 of its citizens were killed in the crush in Mina, outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca, and that 200 other pilgrims were missing, but on Thursday revised the death toll upwards.
