Iran summons Saudi envoy to protest execution of its nationals

TEHRAN (AA) — Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned Saudi Arabia’s ambassador in Tehran in order to protest the execution of six Iranian nationals convicted of drug trafficking in the kingdom.

Iran delivered a formal protest note to the Saudi ambassador to Tehran, Abdullah bin Saud Al-Anzi, expressing its strong opposition to the executions, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry.

The note highlighted the “incompatibility of the action with established judicial cooperation between the two countries” and demanded an explanation from Riyadh.

According to Karimi Shasti, director general of consular affairs at the Foreign Ministry, the six Iranians were sentenced to death by Saudi judicial authorities several years ago for drug trafficking.

During this period, he said, the ministry provided consular services to the accused and sought commutation of their sentences.

Shasti criticized Saudi authorities for carrying out the executions without first notifying the Iranian Embassy in Riyadh, calling the action “completely unacceptable” and a violation of international law, including the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

The ministry announced that a legal-consular delegation from Iran would travel to Saudi Arabia in the coming days to take up the issue directly with Saudi officials.

Iran-Saudi Arabia relations have long been strained over the issue of execution.

In 2016, diplomatic ties were severed after Saudi Arabia executed prominent Iranian cleric Nimr al-Nimr, which triggered widespread protests across Iran and led to the storming of the Saudi Embassy in Tehran.

Relations between the two Persian Gulf neighbors were restored in March 2023 after a seven-year standoff, following a landmark agreement brokered by China.

Since 2013, Tehran and Riyadh have reopened diplomatic missions and made efforts to bolster bilateral trade cooperation.