A domino S-N and C-N coupling/oxidative aromatization process to synthesize 2-aminothio-phenylpyrimidines and 2-amino-phenylpyrimidines by S-N and C-N cross-coupling reactions is described. This methodology couples 3,4-dihydropyrimidine-2-thiones and secondary amines catalyzed by molecular iodine. Remarkably the C-N coupled product was obtained via a desulfitative coupling-aromatization reaction in one-pot reaction. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.