Iran confirms meetings with cleric held in KSA

Iran said Wednesday it has held consular meetings with a cleric detained during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, according to local media.

Gholamreza Ghasemian, a well-known cleric and religious figure in Iran, was arrested in the kingdom on Monday after a video circulated online showing him criticising the Saudi government, Iran's ISNA news agency reported.

Saudi authorities have not confirmed the arrest.

In the footage, Ghasemian, dressed in white pilgrimage robes, accused Saudi leaders of turning the Qibla into "a place for gambling houses, centres of debauchery, and obscene concerts".

Alireza Bayat, head of Iran's Hajj organisation, said Iranian officials had held three consular meetings with Ghasemian in coordination with the embassy and consulate in Jeddah, ISNA reported.