Saudi Arabia has announced that it executed six Iranian nationals for attempting to smuggle drugs into the kingdom, a move that has provoked a harsh response from Iran, especially as the two nations work to rebuild their diplomatic ties.
According to the Saudi Interior Ministry, the six men were caught trying to bring hashish into the country and were put to death after their appeals were denied by the Supreme Court. The exact date of the executions was not provided.
The ministry explained that the executions were carried out in accordance with Islamic law and were intended to safeguard the people and residents of Saudi Arabia from the harmful effects of drugs.
In response, the Iranian Foreign Ministry called in the Saudi ambassador to express their disapproval, with the official news agency IRNA reporting that Iran would send a delegation to Riyadh to address the matter.
IRNA cited Mojtaba Shasti Karimi, an official from the Iranian Ministry, who stated that the executions went against the positive momentum of judicial cooperation between the two countries. He also expressed that Saudi Arabia’s failure to notify Iran prior to the executions made the action “not acceptable under any circumstance.”
After seven years of strained relations, Saudi Arabia and Iran resumed diplomatic relations in early 2023.
{Matzav.com}