Germany has scaled back operations at its embassy in Tehran and once again urged its citizens to leave Iran, the German Foreign Ministry told Iran International on Friday. According to the ministry’s statement, the embassy remains open, but consular and visa services are now operating on an emergency basis with limited capacity only.
1+The Foreign Ministry said it is closely monitoring the security situation and maintaining ongoing contact with the mission in Tehran. The primary focus is on the safety of embassy staff, with security measures being reviewed and updated continuously. The embassy is operating with a reduced and limited staff due to restrictions Iranian authorities have placed on diplomatic approvals.
Travel Warning and Emergency Instructions for Citizens
Alongside the diplomatic drawdown, the Foreign Ministry reiterated its existing travel warning for Iran and called again on German citizens to leave the country. Citizens remaining in Iran were encouraged to register with the ELEFAND emergency preparedness system to receive security alerts and emergency notifications directly from the embassy.
1+The move comes after Britain announced Wednesday it was evacuating its diplomatic staff from Tehran following a day of threats from both sides, and France announced last night that it too had evacuated its embassy staff from Iran.
Iran International reported several days ago on an incident in which Iranian security officers detained and beat French diplomats in Tehran. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot described the incident as “an extremely serious and premeditated attack” that constitutes a blatant violation of diplomatic immunity, and emphasized that Paris is examining all options available to it in light of the situation.
The diplomats, who were held for about four hours during which they were denied access to communication and subjected to psychological pressure, returned to France along with the rest of the evacuated staff. Iran, meanwhile, tried to deny the violence and claimed the two were only briefly questioned after attending a suspicious meeting—a claim rejected by Paris, which decided to cut contact and evacuate its representatives.