TEHRAN – Iran has expelled two German diplomats in retaliation to a similar move by Berlin last week.
Foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani 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 a terrorist 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 U.S.-based “terrorist group” responsible for a 2008 bombing at a mosque that martyred 14 people and wounded hundreds. Sharmahd and the pro-monarchist group, which runs television channels abroad, were also found guilty by the Iranian court of launching several other attacks and planning to conduct more “terrorist” operations across Iran.
Sharmahd and his Tondar group were also behind a 2010 terrorist bombing at Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s mausoleum in the Iranian capital, which left several people injured.
The 67-year-old is also accused of working with U.S. intelligence and spying on Iran’s ballistic missile program.
The Iranian Intelligence Ministry announced in a statement in August 2020 that it had arrested the terrorist ringleader, who had directed “armed operations and acts of sabotage” in Iran from the U.S.
His group had planned to carry out several high-profile and potentially deadly attacks across the Islamic Republic, but its efforts were thwarted by the intricate intelligence operations targeting the outfit, according to the ministry.
Tehran and Berlin have also been increasingly at odds over the riots that erupted across Iran in September after the death of a woman. Iran has repeatedly condemned Germany for intervening in its internal affairs for its support of the riots and criticizing the Islamic Republic’s response to acts of rampage and terror.