Saudi sources told Al Arabiya Net that the name of Ghazanfar Abadi, Iran’s former ambassador to Lebanon, did not appear in border-entry records for the current Hajj season or on pilgrim lists. If reports of his presence among pilgrims were confirmed, they said, he had entered through an unknown method because no entry or passport stamp was recorded under his known name and status.
Reports conflicted over Ghazanfar Roknabadi’s whereabouts. Some listed him among those missing in the Mina stampede, while others said he had minor injuries. More than 750 pilgrims died in the stampede on the first day of Eid Al-Adha.
Iranian officials and relatives confirmed that he had accompanied Iranian pilgrims that season. His brother Morteza Abadi told reporters: “We have been searching for him since Thursday evening but have reached no result.” He said his brother’s mobile phone had not answered repeated calls since the incident.
By contrast, Iranian strategic analyst Amir Mousavi told a news agency that Roknabadi had been injured in the stampede but only superficially. Mousavi said the ambassador’s wife in Tehran and brother in Mecca had confirmed he was well and there was no concern for his health.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry had issued no official comment on the former diplomat’s fate. Roknabadi served as ambassador to Beirut for four years, from 2010 to 2014, and played a prominent political role among Lebanese parties seeking a consensus government. He was known for close relations with Hezbollah and survived a twin suicide bombing at the Iranian embassy in Beirut in 2013.