Saudi Arabia has urged its citizens not to travel to Iran following the deaths of four children and harm to 36 others from insecticide poisoning in a hotel in the Iranian city of Mashhad.
A statement from the Saudi Foreign Ministry said: “While the issue is still under investigation amid the lack of clarity and mysterious circumstances surrounding it, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls upon Saudi citizens traveling to Iran to take the utmost caution to preserve their safety and security as well as their families from any harm.
“The Ministry also urges the Iranian government to shoulder its responsibilities towards accelerating the results of the investigation with full transparency, along with the provision of the medical care for the injured and the provision of the necessary protection for Saudi nationals in Iran.”
The Saudi Consulate in Iran plans to launch lawsuits seeking compensation for the deaths and injuries suffered by its citizens.
The victims dies after inhaling phosphine apparently used during the fumigation of the hotel in Mashhad.
The Saudi families claimed that the chemical reached their rooms through the air-conditioning system last Sunday.
They had complained to the hotel management about a foul smell in their rooms but were initially told it was an odor coming from the hotel kitchen.
Tests later showed that the chemical was present in their bodies. The hotel’s manager and four workers were subsequently arrested.