Saudi Arabia executed six Iranian nationals for drug smuggling, state news agency SPA reported on Wednesday, prompting Tehran to summon the Saudi ambassador according to media reports.
Saudi authorities have ramped up efforts to combat drug smuggling in recent years, with significant arrests and seizures reported regularly © Mena Today
Saudi Arabia executed six Iranian nationals for drug smuggling, state news agency SPA reported on Wednesday, prompting Tehran to summon the Saudi ambassador according to media reports.
The Saudi interior ministry said the six Iranian nationals were arrested and charged with smuggling hashish into the kingdom, according to SPA, and were given the death sentence.
The statement did not mention when the executions were carried out.
In response, Tehran summoned Saudi Arabia's envoy in Tehran to "strongly protest" the executions, Iranian media reported.
"A note of strong protest from Iran, highlighting the incompatibility of this action with the overall judicial cooperation between the two countries, was conveyed to him. The necessity of providing an adequate explanation on this matter was emphasized," Iranian media reports said.
Under a deal brokered by China in 2023, Tehran and Riyadh re-established relations after years of hostility that had threatened stability and security in the Gulf and helped fuel conflicts in the Middle East from Yemen to Syria.
Reporting by Parisa Hafezi
Saudi Arabia has launched an air accident probe following last week's cockpit stabbing on a flydubai jet, as experts examine any fallout for aviation safety alongside a separate UAE-led criminal investigation, three people close to the matter said.
Houthis attacked the international airport in the southern Yemeni town of Aden with ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones early on Wednesday, Yemen's Transport Ministry said, as fighting intensified across several fronts between the Iran-aligned group and Saudi-backed government forces.
Israelis will on Wednesday mark three years since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, triggering a military assault that destroyed much of Gaza, where conditions remain dire despite a year-old ceasefire that is meant to halt the war for good.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.