The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. (AFP)
- The leader of Iran's Islamic Revolution has sharply criticized Saudi Arabia over the tragic stampede that killed at least 13-hundred Hajj pilgrims. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in a statement called on Riyadh to shoulder responsibility for the incident in Mina. He also declared three days of public mourning in Iran.
- Iran has accused Saudi Arabia of negligence after at least 13-hundred people, including some 130 Iranian pilgrims, were killed in a stampede during the Hajj pilgrimage. Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said a committee has been tasked with looking into the condition of Iranian pilgrims affected by the incident.
- Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's health minister says undisciplined Hajj pilgrims are to blame for the deadly incident in Mina. Khalid Falih accused the pilgrims of not obeying the directives and moving without respecting the timetable. The controversial comments come as Riyadh is accused of mismanagement in two deadly incidents that struck Hajj this year.
- The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has accused Egypt of trying to further isolate the Gaza Strip by flooding the border areas. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyah said any plot against Gaza won't be tolerated. Egypt is digging trenches south of Gaza. As a result, the tunnels linking Gaza to Sinai have been submerged.
- In Syria, fighting between foreign-backed militants and army continues in the north. Reports say foreign-backed militants have fired a number of mortar shells at two villages on Aleppo countryside. One person has been killed and several others were injured in the attack. Army has also made advancements against militants in Idlib province.
- The Turkish president joins the array of politicians who have recently switched their positions over the future of Syria. Reccep Tayyip Erdogan says Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could play a role in ending the crisis in Syria. Earlier, western opponents of Assad also acknowledged any solution to Syria's crisis requires participation of Assad.
- NATO says a recent ceasefire in eastern Ukraine seems to be holding despite Russia's strong presence in the flashpoint region. NATO head Jens Stoltenberg also accused Moscow of assisting and training militias in the east. He said Russia's behavior is provocative and allows the European Union to press ahead with anti-Moscow sanctions.
- Hungary says the European Union refugee distribution plan is QUOTE seriously flawed and Budapest may file a case against it. The premier’s chief of staff described the EU decision as an example of moral imperialism. EU ministers on Tuesday voted for a refugee distribution scheme amid opposition from eastern European countries.
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