Saudi Arabia says it executes 6 Iranians for drug smuggling

BEIRUT — Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday that the kingdom executed six Iranian men for drug smuggling, sparking strong objections from Iran at a time when the two countries are trying to mend relations.

The Saudi Interior Ministry said the six men had been caught smuggling hashish into the kingdom and were executed after an appeal was rejected by the country’s Supreme Court. It did not say when this happened.

The punishment was in line with Islamic law and aimed at protecting citizens and residents “from the scourge of drugs,” the ministry said.

In Tehran, the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the Saudi ambassador in protest, the official IRNA news agency said. Iran would send a delegation to Riyadh to discuss the case, the report added.

IRNA quoted ministry official Mojtaba Shasti Karimi as saying the executions contradicted the general trend of judicial cooperation. He said the Saudi action, without informing Iran ahead of time, was “not acceptable under any circumstance.”

The Middle East rivals reestablished diplomatic relations in early 2023, after seven years of tensions.