ALEX Salmond is helping to broker a deal which could see Iran give up the death penalty,

The former SNP leader discussed the issue with a senior Iranian government official while leading a delegation to the country before Christmas.

Mr Salmond and his team met with the met the Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif and the speaker of the Iranian parliament, Ali Larijani and held talks on a number of matters, including trade and human rights.

PoliticsHome has revealed that the country's use of the death penalty was also one of the issues up for discussion.

The vast majority of death sentences are handed down for drug trafficking, and Mr Zarif told Mr Salmond that his country wanted to explore "alternative" punishments for the crime and was keen to discuss it with Europe.

In an interview with The House magazine, Mr Salmond said: "His logic was that 85 per cent of capital punishment in Iran is drug trafficking. He said there’s nothing in Sharia Law that says we must have capital punishment for these offences.

"Therefore, he said they are willing to have an open dialogue on alternative deterrents, bearing in mind it’s in the interests of Europe not to have an acceleration of the drug trade through Iran into Europe."

The former Scottish First Minister, now the SNP foreign affairs spokesman, said he was now “instigating” talks on the subject between Iran and the Council of Europe through his membership of its parliamentary assembly.

Although the Iranians are initially looking at ending the death penalty for drug trafficking, SNP sources say it could then be scrapped altogether as the country seeks to improve its relations with the West.

Sanctions against Iran have already been partially lifted after the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful.

Mr Salmond said: “I raised [the death penalty] with the secretary general of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg and they are extremely interested.

"It’s up to the Iranians who they want to engage with, whether it’s the Council of Europe or the European Union.

“If it can be facilitated it would be a great step forward. It’s up to Europe to reciprocate and to do it in a proper, adult grown-up fashion. It would be a great step forward as Iran is re-integrated into the international community, with all the positive benefits that brings, and is a vindication of the nuclear dialogue."

The visit to Iran by, which included two SNP members of the Scottish parliament, Azzam Mohammed, vice-chairman of the Muslim Council for Scotland, and two staff, was held to boost links between Scotland and the Islamic republic.

However, Mr Salmond was criticised for over-stepping his bounds as such work is usually done by the Foreign Office.

It later emerged that the delegation had to host its own briefing dinner with Iranian Embassy staff as it was not entitled to hospitality.

To avoid embarrassment, Scotland’s former first minister hosted the dinner at his hotel in Tehran, paying both the delegation and British embassy staff.