TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz called on Iran and Saudi Arabia to exercise more "restraint and dialogue" following growing tension between the two countries after execution of prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr and 46 other people.

In two separate telephone conversations with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir, Kurz underlined the importance of restraint and dialogue between Tehran and Riyadh.

"Just spoke w @JZarif & al Jubeir underlined importance of restraint & dialogue, reiterated our rejection of death penalty," Kurz said in a Twitter posting, Sputnik reported on Monday.

"Both foreign ministers gave the assurance that no one can have an interest in a further escalation," a spokesman for Kurz quoted him as saying after the Austrian foreign minister spoke with his Iranian and Saudi counterparts.

The conversations came two days after Saudi Arabia announced the execution of prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.

Saudi Arabia executed 47 prisoners on Saturday, including Sheikh Nimr, the Arab country’s interior ministry said in a statement.

Among them were four Shiite Muslims accused of anti-government protests in recent years.

The executions took place in 12 cities in Saudi Arabia, four prisons using firing squads and the others beheading. The bodies were then hanged from gibbets in the most severe form of punishment available in the kingdom's law.

Sheikh Nimr was detained in July 2012 on trumped-up charges of delivering anti-regime speeches and defending political prisoners.

By Tasnim News Agency