According to Iranian state media, officers at the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah attempted to sexually assault the two teenage boys as they prepared to return home after performing the Umrah pilgrimage. Details of the incident are still unclear, however, and Iranian officials have downplayed the reports, maintaining that there was only "attempted abuse."
Umrah, or the "lesser pilgrimage", is a visit to the holy city of Mecca which can be undertaken by Muslims at any time of the year, in contrast to the annual Hajj. Some 500,000 Iranians travel to Saudi Arabia annually for Umrah and around 100,000 travel there for Hajj. The alleged abuse prompted Iran’s Ministry of Culture to temporarily suspend the holy site visits until Saudi authorities fully pursue and prosecute the offenders.
"I have ordered the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization to suspend the lesser pilgrimage until the criminals are tried and prosecuted," Minister of Culture Ali Jannati said to state television on Monday. "The public dignity of the Iranian nation has been damaged given what has happened. A public demand has been formed and a reaction is needed."
His comments came after a group of Iranians gathered outside the Saudi embassy in Tehran to protest the alleged indecency, chanting anti-Saudi slogans and calling for the embassy’s closure.
Jannati said Saudi officials have already arrested the two officers accused of the abuse, and have "promised to punish the persons in custody," saying they will be executed, but "nothing has been done in reality so far."
Iran Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham said that the Ministry has summoned the Saudi Charge d’Affairs and asked that Riyadh expedite the prosecution of the alleged offenders. For their part, Saudi officials have not yet publicly commented on the incident.
The allegations come amid rising tensions between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran. Relations between the old foes have been strained by the ongoing conflict in Yemen, with a Saudi-led bombing campaign targeting Houthi rebels believed to be backed by Iran. Tehran has denied allegations of arming the Yemeni group, and has condemned the Saudi-led bombing campaign.
