Tehran summons Swiss, German envoys over hostile rhetoric
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Iran delivers formal protests to the Swiss and German ambassadors, following offensive remarks by Trump and Merz.
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People seen through an Iranian flag gather during a protest in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, June 15, 2025 (AP)
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has summoned the ambassadors of Switzerland and Germany in Tehran to deliver formal protests over recent remarks made by US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, which Iranian officials condemned as hostile and inflammatory.
According to Iranian state television, the Swiss ambassador, who serves as the official representative of US interests in Iran, was summoned following what Tehran described as “irresponsible and threatening” comments by President Trump.
“Following the irresponsible and threatening statements of the American president, the Swiss ambassador, as the guardian of this country’s interests in Tehran, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” the report stated.
Trump’s recent rhetoric, including his demand for Iran’s “unconditional surrender", was met with firm rejection in Tehran and seen as a dangerous provocation amid rising regional tensions.
In a separate diplomatic move, the German ambassador was also summoned in protest of comments made by Chancellor Merz, who voiced explicit support for the ongoing Israeli aggression on Iran.
“Following the shameful statements made by the German Chancellor in support of Tel Aviv’s aggression against our country, the country’s ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry,” state TV added.
Iranian officials condemned Merz’s comments as aligning Germany with what they described as “illegal and destabilizing aggression” by the Israeli occupation, particularly in light of recent attacks on Iranian infrastructure and civilian sites.
'Israel' is doing the dirty work for us: Germany’s Merz
In a revealing interview for ZDF on Tuesday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz openly endorsed "Israel’s" continued military aggression against Iran, framing it not only as justified but as a global service.
“This is the dirty work Israel is doing for all of us. We are also victims of this regime,” Merz said, referring to Iran. He labeled the Iranian government a “mullah regime” responsible for “death and destruction to the world.”
In his remarks, Merz issued a threat: if Iran refuses to back down, its nuclear program will face complete destruction. He admitted that such an outcome could not be achieved by "Israel" alone, stressing the inevitable need for US involvement.
It is worth noting that as Iran faced a wave of attacks launched by "Israel", the European trio, Germany, France, and Britain (E3), largely focused their statements on condemning Iran and upholding "Israel's" "right to self-defense." Although "Israel" initiated the attacks, unprovoked, the E3 refrained from criticizing the offensive, instead stressing the need for de-escalation and renewed diplomacy.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz further admitted that Berlin was informed of the attack on Tehran ahead of time.
