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.

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 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.

Iranian media revealed that debates over relocating the capital have resurfaced periodically since the Islamic Revolution in 1979 but were repeatedly shelved due to economic limitations and logistical hurdles.

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.

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.

With its ambitions abroad temporarily limited by Israel's strikes on Hamas and Hezbollah, and the loss of supply lines through the now-defunct Baathist Syria, the Islamic Republic of Iran is forced to approach domestic issues with caution.

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.

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 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 has forced a Florida retiree to try to renounce his American citizenship after jailing him over social media posts critical