Monitoring Desk
TEHRAN: Iran has expelled two German diplomats in a tit-for-tat to a similar move by Germany last week.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani in a short statement on Wednesday, announced that two diplomats had been designated personae non gratae in response to the German government’s recent “irresponsible and interventional measures.”
“The priority of Iran is always to maintain cooperation in an atmosphere of respect; however, if other sides ignore the fundamental tenets and our country’s national governance, then defining new options can not be avoided,” the spokesman said. He said that after being summoned, the German ambassador had been notified.
Germany expels two Iranian diplomats
The move comes days after the foreign ministry of Germany expelled two Iranian diplomats in response to the sentence of an Iranian-German man by Iran.
Jamshid Sharmahd, who also had a US residency, was convicted by a court in Iran of “corruption,” which carries the death penalty.
Tehran said Jamshid Sharmahd was the leader of a US-based “terrorist group” and was responsible for a 2008 bombing at a mosque in which 14 people were killed, and hundreds were injured. Sharmahd and the pro-monarchist group were also found guilty by the Iranian court of launching many other attacks and planning to carry out more “terrorist” attacks across Iran.
Iran and Germany have also been increasingly at odds over the protest demonstrations that erupted across Iran against the custodial death of a woman. Iran has repeatedly denounced Germany for intervening in its internal matters for its support of the protests and criticizing the response of the Iranian state to the protesters.
