Saudi Arabia announced today the execution of six Iranians who had been sentenced to death for drug trafficking, prompting a reaction from Tehran which summoned the Saudi ambassador to the Iranian capital.

The number of executions in the Sunni kingdom hit a record high in 2024, with 330 executions, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

The six Iranians were executed in Dammam, in the eastern part of Saudi Arabia, after they were found guilty of “smuggling hashish” into the kingdom, the Saudi interior ministry said, without specifying the date of execution of the six Iranians.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced that it had summoned the Saudi ambassador to Tehran to deliver a note of protest over the executions, which Tehran described as “unacceptable” and “violating the rules of international law”.

It is recalled that with an agreement brokered by China in 2023, Tehran and Riyadh restored their bilateral diplomatic relations after years of hostility.

In 2024, 117 people were executed for drug trafficking in Saudi Arabia, including 85 foreigners, according to an AFP tally.

Saudi authorities launched a campaign to combat drug trafficking in 2023, with a series of raids and arrests.

The Gulf monarchy is a major market for captagon, a synthetic amphetamine-like drug produced in Syria and Lebanon, according to the UN.

In 2024, Saudi Arabia executed a total of 338 people, according to the AFP count, compared with 170 in 2023.