Axel Wilhelm Dietmann, the German ambassador in Tehran, was recently summoned by Alireza Yousofi, the Director General for Western Europe at Iran's Foreign Ministry. In this meeting, the Iranian side expressed its strong protest against the "interventionist positions of senior German officials" and the "actions of the embassy of this country."
Iran's Criticism of Germany's Policies
Alireza Yousofi criticized the German Chancellor's statements regarding Iran's regional role, accusing the German government of "complicity in crimes against the people of the region." In response, the German ambassador stated that he would convey Iran's protest to Berlin.
This summoning comes at a time when Axel Dietmann had submitted his credentials to Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran, a few months ago. During that meeting, Pezeshkian criticized the problems created by Berlin, including the closure of the Islamic Center in Hamburg and the restrictions on Iranian consulates, and conditioned the rebuilding of relations on a "fundamental change in Germany's approach."
Iran's Reaction to the German Chancellor's Statements
Simultaneously with this diplomatic crisis, Ismail Baqaei, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, in a sharp message on the social network X, described the recent statements of the German Chancellor regarding "Iran's warmongering" and "military nuclear program" as a "deliberately distorted narrative." Baqaei rejected the existence of a military dimension in Iran's nuclear program, emphasizing that those whom Germany calls proxies are independent actors fighting for their right to self-determination.
He also accused Germany of trying to play the role of "moral teacher" by siding with criminal behaviors, stating that the countries in the region should not pay the price for Berlin's "historical guilt complex."
This diplomatic crisis is also tied to Iran's nuclear file. Germany, along with France and Britain (the European Troika), has played a key role in activating the automatic sanctions snapback mechanism under UN Security Council Resolution 2231. The Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency also called for referring Iran's case to the UN Security Council with a resolution proposed by the US and three European countries.
This resolution, despite receiving 11 votes in favor and 2 abstentions, was ultimately rejected by the veto of Moscow and Beijing, two permanent members of the Security Council. These developments indicate a further deterioration in diplomatic relations between Iran and Germany and its impact on the security and political situation in Europe and the region.
