Iran ratcheted up blame on archrival Saudi Arabia on Friday over the disaster at the hajj the previous day that killed more than 700 pilgrims, as Muslims solemnly resumed the final rites of the annual pilgrimage in the kingdom.
Thousands protested in the streets of Tehran as a senior cleric angrily demanded Saudi Arabia hand over control of the annual pilgrimage to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the world's largest body of Muslim nations.
For its part, the OIC said it supported Saudi Arabia's efforts of keeping some 2 million pilgrims safe in the annual hajj that all able-bodied Muslims must perform once in their lifetime.
Madani "expressed hope that no party would seek to take advantage of the pilgrimage and pilgrims, and the incidents that might happen when these crowds of millions perform the same rituals at the same time, in a controversial context that would divide rather than unite," the statement read.
