WANA (Jan 29) – Amid escalating verbal tensions between Tehran and Berlin, Germany’s ambassador to Iran was summoned to Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, January 29, 2026. The move came in response to recent remarks by the German chancellor and several German officials directed at Iran and its armed forces.
According to Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Axel Dittmann, Germany’s ambassador in Tehran, met with Alireza Yousefi, Assistant Foreign Minister and Director General for Western Europe. During the meeting, the ambassador was formally conveyed Tehran’s protest. The Iranian official described the recent statements by German officials as “interventionist, irresponsible, and provocative,” warning of the consequences should this approach continue.
Yousefi also recalled Germany’s role in providing military support to Saddam Hussein’s regime during the Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988), including the involvement of German companies in supplying materials and equipment related to chemical weapons. He stressed that Berlin has yet to accept responsibility for this record or take steps toward compensation or legal accountability, arguing that this historical legacy seriously undermines Germany’s current claims of defending human rights.
The Director General for Western Europe further pointed to Germany’s political support for Israel during the Gaza war, as well as statements made by German officials during the recent 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran. From Tehran’s perspective, he said, such positions are incompatible with the principles of international law and Berlin’s professed moral stance.
In another part of the discussion, the Iranian official defended the role of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in combating terrorist groups in the region, describing any attempt to label or question the status of an official branch of Iran’s armed forces as a “clear violation of international law and an infringement on national sovereignty.” He emphasized that such actions would not go unanswered.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the German ambassador said he would convey the Iranian side’s positions and messages to the German government.
