Iran has ordered a Swedish diplomat to leave the country, after Stockholm expelled an Iranian embassy staffer, as diplomatic tensions between Tehran and several European countries deepen.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned Sweden’s ambassador to Tehran on Thursday to protest what it described as Sweden’s “destructive” policies, including what it called “inappropriate rhetoric” about Iran and Sweden’s hosting of anti-Iranian groups and individuals, state news agency IRNA reported.
The ambassador was informed that a Swedish diplomat had 48 hours, starting Thursday, to leave Iran. The ministry said the reasons for the expulsion had been explained to the envoy.
Separately, Iran summoned Germany’s ambassador to Tehran over remarks by senior German officials concerning Israel and the United States’ war against Iran, Tehran’s nuclear programme and its regional allies.
The German ambassador was summoned by Iran’s assistant foreign minister and director general for Western Europe, who conveyed Tehran’s formal protest, the WANA news agency reported, citing a Foreign Ministry statement.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei had already criticised remarks by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz about the conflict, Iran’s nuclear programme and its regional allies.
In a post on Wednesday, Baghaei accused Berlin of adopting a “distorted narrative” about the war, saying the United States and Israel, rather than Iran, had launched it.
He also criticised Germany for failing to condemn the attacks on Iran while making accusations against Tehran, saying Berlin should not portray itself as a champion of peace or a moral authority after supporting what he described as the “dirty work” — a reference to earlier remarks by Merz.
The diplomatic exchanges come amid wider tensions between Iran and European countries over Tehran’s nuclear programme and the latest developments at the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Tehran has strongly condemned a joint resolution submitted by the United States and the European E3 — France, Germany and Britain — at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna.
The resolution accused Iran of “non-compliance” with its obligations to the UN nuclear watchdog. Tehran says wartime conditions have prevented inspections of nuclear sites damaged in attacks.
“Referring the Iranian nuclear file to the Security Council is fundamentally irrelevant because Iran has not committed any non-compliance,” Baghaei said after the resolution was adopted.
He said what the resolution describes as non-compliance was instead the result of attacks by the United States and Israel on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, also criticised the resolution, arguing that attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities had disrupted the verification process and that the resulting disruption was then being used to justify action against Tehran.
“The anti-Iranian resolution of the IAEA Board of Governors is politically motivated and distorted in terms of law and facts,” Gharibabadi said. “This action destroys trust, cooperation and diplomacy.”
Meanwhile, Iran has welcomed Russia and China’s opposition to a U.S. draft resolution at the UN Security Council.
Iran’s mission to international organisations in Vienna said the U.S. draft, which Tehran described as politically motivated, had sought to revive the mandate of a panel of experts linked to the UN sanctions committee established under Resolution 1737.
The draft was not adopted after Russia and China opposed it, according to the Iranian mission.
Iran praised Moscow and Beijing for what it called their “principled and consistent positions,” and also thanked Somalia and Pakistan for their positions and abstentions.
The diplomatic disputes highlight the widening divide between Iran and several Western governments, as Tehran faces mounting international pressure over its nuclear programme and the war with Israel and the United States.
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