Iran's president calls for probe into Hajj stampede

NEW YORK

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday called for an investigation into this week’s Hajj crush that left more than 750 pilgrims dead.

Iran appears to have suffered the highest number of casualties in Thursday’s stampede in Saudi Arabia. At least 136 Iranian nationals were among the dead while more than 340 Iranians remain missing, according to media reports.

Rouhani offered condolences to the families of victims in his address to a UN sustainable development summit in New York.

"I emphasize the need for swift attention to the injured as well as investigating the causes of this incident and other similar incidents in this year's Hajj," he added.

At least 800 pilgrims were injured in the crush at Mina, around 5 kilometers (3 miles) east of Islam’s holy city of Makkah, as pilgrims returned from or headed to the ritual “stoning of the devil” at Jamarat.

Another 22 countries confirmed their citizens were among the dead.

According to Saudi figures, some 2 million Muslims from around the world participated in this year’s Hajj.

Regarding the nuclear deal Iran struck with international powers, Rouhani said that the agreement would help create favorable conditions for global cooperation in the field of environmental preservation.

"We are eager to cooperate with our neighbors to promote regional sustainable development through active environmental diplomacy, constructive relations with other countries, transfer of technology and know-how, and participation in joint scientific activities, in order to fulfill our share in building a more sustainable world immune from environmental threats," he said.

World powers and Iran agreed in July to provide Iran with billions of dollars in sanctions relief in exchange for unprecedented access to and curbs on Iran’s nuclear program.