Iran expels German diplomats in response to similar action in Berlin

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
1 Mar 16:14

Iran expels German diplomats in Tehran in response to a similar action Berlin performed against Iranian diplomats in February 22.

The Iranian flag flutters in front the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters in Vienna, Austria March 4, 2019. (Reuters)

In response to Berlin's expulsion of two Iranian diplomats on February 22, Iran expelled two German diplomats accredited to Tehran after a death sentence was issued against an Iranian-German citizen, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

"Two German diplomats were expelled and declared persona non grata following the German government's interference in Iran's internal and judicial affairs", the ministry stated.

On February 22, Berlin announced the expulsion of Iranian diplomats after expressing its opposition to the death sentence ruled against Jamshid Sharmahd, who was accused of participating in an attack performed on a mosque in Shiraz in southern Iran, which left 14 dead in April 2008.

Sharmahd, 67, the ringleader of the 'Tondar' terrorist group, is an Iranian national who also holds German citizenship and used to reside in the US.

The judiciary also accused him of establishing relations "with officers in the FBI and the CIA" and "attempting to contact agents of the Israeli Mossad."

"The Islamic Republic of Iran will act mightily in the face of excessive demands," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani commented on Wednesday.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran’s priority is always to maintain interaction in the atmosphere of respect, but if certain parties intend to ignore the principal rules and the national sovereignty of our country, the definition of alternative options will be inevitable,” he added.