Iran expels two Germany diplomats in tit-for-tat move

Tehran, Iran – Iran has expelled two German diplomats in retaliation to a similar move by Berlin last week.

Foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani announced in a short statement on Wednesday that two unnamed diplomats have been designated personae non gratae as a result of the German government’s recent “interventional and irresponsible measures”.

“The priority of the Islamic Republic of Iran is always to maintain cooperation in an atmosphere of respect, but if other sides want to ignore the fundamental tenets and national governance of our country, then defining new options is unavoidable,” he said, adding that the German ambassador has been notified after being summoned.

The move comes days after the German foreign ministry expelled two diplomats from the Iranian embassy in Berlin in response to the sentencing of an Iranian-German man by Tehran.

Jamshid Sharmahd, who also had United States residency, was convicted by an Iranian court of “corruption on Earth” which carries the death penalty.

Iran said Sharmahd was the leader of a US-based “terrorist group” responsible for a 2008 bombing at a mosque that killed 14 people and wounded hundreds. Sharmahd and the pro-monarchist group, which runs television channels abroad that support Iranian opposition groups, were also found guilty by the Iranian court of launching several other attacks and planning to conduct more “terrorist” operations across Iran.

Sharmahd’s family have maintained that he is innocent adding that he was last heard from Dubai shortly before appearing in an Iranian state television video showing he was in custody. Germany had condemned his sentencing as “unacceptable” and had called for his release.

Tehran and Berlin have also been increasingly at odds over the protests that erupted across Iran in September against the death of a woman in the custody of morality police. Iran has repeatedly condemned Germany for intervening in its internal affairs for its support of the protests and criticising the response of the Iranian state to the protesters.