Iran launches ‘strong protest’ against Germany’s closure of consulates
The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Friday denounced Germany’s “irrational” decision to shut the diplomatic missions of the Islamic Republic in the country and deprive Iranians of consular services.
“The decision by the German government to stop the activities of the consulates of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Germany is an unjustified act,” the Ministry’s said in a press release.
Iran also summoned German charge d’affaires in Tehran in protest against the European country’s decision.
The director of the First Department for Western Europe at the Iranian Foreign Ministry called in the diplomat on Thursday to relay Tehran’s “strong protest” and condemn Berlin’s “destructive approach” toward the Iranian people, including those residing in Germany.
It came hours after German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced that the Iranian consulates in the cities of Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich are to be closed over the execution of German-Iranian convicted terrorist Jamshid Sharmahd.
The statement by the Iranian Foreign Ministry said the move “deliberately deprives Iranians of the benefit of consular facilities and services,” while it “causes unnecessary trouble for Iranians residing in Germany and violates their basic rights.”
Also, in a post on his X account on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated that, “The closure of Iran’s Consulates in Germany is a sanction against Iranians residing in that country -most of whom possess German citizenship as well.”
“In support of a terrorist who took 14 innocent lives and injured more than 200 others, the German government is sanctioning tens of thousands of other Iranians holding German passport. Anyone can see the wisdom in this decision,” he said.
“I assure my Iranian compatriots living in Germany that we are doing our utmost to compensate for this inconvenience by strengthening the consular sections of our embassy in Berlin and other nearby diplomatic missions,” Araqchi added.
“Meanwhile, behold the terrorist criminal that German authorities sought to protect.”
On Monday, Iran’s Judiciary executed Sharmahd, the ringleader of a US-based terror group behind a series of deadly attacks against the Iranian nation.
Germany protested to Iran by recalling its ambassador to Tehran and summoning the Iranian charge d’affaires in Berlin.
Announcing the closure of the Iranian consulates, Baerbock said, “We repeatedly made it crystal clear to Tehran that the execution of a German national would have serious consequences.”
In its press release, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said Baerbock’s “meddlesome” and “unprofessional” statement lacks decency and legal value, noting that Berlin’s “unconstructive and confrontational approach is a major miscalculation, and the German government will be responsible for its consequences.”
It also condemned the German government’s disrespect for international law, as well as any support for terrorism and the killing of innocent people.