Politics
Iran and Germany escalate diplomatic dispute over Hamburg espionage case
October 20, 2026 at 08:01 AM
Coverage
3 reports · 2 in Arabic, 1 in English · over 8 hours
MAMasrawy
تصعيد دبلوماسي بين إيران وألمانيا عقب قضية تجسس في هامبورج
(opens the publisher’s site)
AJAl Jazeera Arabic
طهران تستدعي السفير الألماني عقب اتهامها بمخطط اغتيال
(opens the publisher’s site)
AJAl Jazeera English
Tehran rejects any role in plot to kill leaders of German Jewish groups
(opens the publisher’s site)Iran summoned Germany's ambassador after Berlin summoned Iran's envoy, following a Hamburg court's sentencing of two men for spying for Tehran.
- Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned German ambassador Axel Dittmann on Monday, conveying a "strong protest" over German accusations against Tehran.
- Germany summoned Iran's ambassador, Majid Nili Ahmadabadi, the same day and said it will not allow Tehran to threaten its free society.
- A Hamburg court sentenced the two men, aged 54 and 43, to eight and a half and four and a half years for spying for Iran.
- The court found the men gathered information on Josef Schuster, head of the Central Council of Jews, and Volker Beck, head of the German-Israeli Association.
- Iran's Foreign Ministry denied any involvement in the plot, calling the accusations baseless political claims by the 'Zionist regime' and Western nations.