Germany shuts down Iran’s consulates after execution of dual national

The German Foreign Ministry had already summoned Iran’s chargé d’affaires on Tuesday to protest Sharmahd’s execution. German Ambassador Markus Potzel also conveyed his objections to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, before returning to Berlin for consultations.

Sharmahd was one of several Iranian dissidents abroad who were either lured or abducted back to Iran in recent years, amid Tehran’s increasing reprisals following the collapse of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, including Germany. Iran accused Sharmahd, who lived in Glendora, California, of planning a 2008 attack on a mosque that killed 14 people — including five women and a child — and injured over 200 others, as well as plotting further attacks through the little-known Kingdom Assembly of Iran and its Tondar militant wing.

Additionally, Iran accused Sharmahd of “disclosing classified information” on missile sites of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard during a television appearance in 2017. His family disputed these allegations and campaigned tirelessly for his release.

Iran dismissed Germany’s objections. Araghchi posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, saying, “a German passport does not provide impunity to anyone, let alone a terrorist criminal.” He accused Baerbock of “gaslighting” and added, “your government is complicit in the ongoing Israeli genocide.” Germany, a strong ally of Israel, has condemned Iranian attacks on Israel as tensions escalate over the wars in Gaza and Lebanon.

The closure of consulates, a rare diplomatic measure for Germany, signals a significant downgrade in already strained relations. Last year, Berlin instructed Russia to close four of its five consulates in Germany after Moscow limited the number of German staff at its embassy and related bodies in Russia.

On Tuesday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stated that “the execution of a European citizen is seriously harming relations between Iran and the European Union.” He added, “In view of this appalling development, the European Union will now consider targeted and significant measures,” without further elaboration, AP reported.

Sharmahd had been in Dubai in 2020, planning to travel to India for a business deal related to his software company, attempting to catch a connecting flight amid pandemic-related travel disruptions. Sharmahd’s family received their last message from him on July 28, 2020. Although details of the abduction remain unclear, tracking data showed Sharmahd’s phone moving south from Dubai to Al Ain on July 29, then crossing the border into Oman. By July 30, the phone signal appeared in the Omani port city of Sohar, where it subsequently stopped.

Two days later, Iran announced it had captured Sharmahd in a “complex operation,” releasing a photo of him blindfolded. Last year, Germany expelled two Iranian diplomats in response to Sharmahd’s death sentence.