Saudi Arabia says it has executed six Iranian men over drug smuggling, sparking strong objections from Iran at a time when the two countries are trying to mend relations.

The two Mideast powerhouses have been trying to block the rise of Islamist groups in the region for two decades. The rebel takeover in Damascus will test that approach.

By taking the lead in hosting Syria's new foreign minister, Riyadh is eying strategic opportunity to fill the US void, counter Iran’s waning influence and stabilize ties with Damascus through aid, partnerships and engagement with Islamist factions.

The Ministry of the Interior of Saudi Arabia announced that six Iranian citizens were executed in the city of Dammam for drug trafficking. The Saudi Press Agency on Wednesday, January 1 reported that these individuals had been convicted of drug trafficking.

A Saudi American retiree was arrested on a visit to Saudi Arabia in 2021 over social media posts, and now faces pressure to renounce his U.S. citizenship, his son says.

Saudi Arabia has put six Iranians to death for drug trafficking, the interior ministry said Wednesday, after a year in which it carried out a record number of executions, according to an AFP tally of official reports.

In Riyadh meeting, US and Saudi Arabia agreed they had 'once in thirty-year opportunity' to sideline Hezbollah with election of new president

Saudi Arabia's oil exports to China are expected to decrease in February due to a price increase by Aramco, impacting the global oil market.

Saudi Arabia raised the price of its crude oil for Asia in February more than expected, capitalizing on tightening global oil supplies due to OPEC+ cuts and reduced volumes from Iran and Russia.

Saudi Arabia says it has executed six Iranian men over drug smuggling, sparking strong objections from Iran at a time when the two countries are trying to mend relations BEIRUT -- BEIRUT (AP ...

The official IRNA news agency said the Iranian Foreign Ministry in Tehran summoned the Saudi ambassador in protest. The report added that Iran would send a delegation to Riyadh to discuss the case.IRNA quoted ministry official Mojtaba Shasti Karimi as saying the executions contradicted the general trend of judicial cooperation.