Iranian officials condemned the execution of Nimr al-Nimr, who had advocated for more rights of Saudi Arabia’s Shiite minorities. However, many were quick to also condemn the attack on the Saudi Embassy. President Hassan Rouhani referred to the embassy attackers as “extremists,” saying that Iran had a legal and religious duty to protect both the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and the consulate in the city of Mashhad. He called their actions “unjustifiable” and asked the judiciary and intelligence ministry to apprehend the attackers so that “this type of ugly act will be put to an end forever.” More than 40 of the attackers have already been arrested.