TEHRAN, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian Foreign Ministry has summoned Germany's ambassador to Tehran over "imprudent, meddlesome and provocative" remarks by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz against Iran and its armed forces.
German Ambassador to Iran Axel Dittmann was called in by Alireza Yousefi, director general for Western Europe at the ministry, on Thursday, one day after Merz claimed that the Iranian government's collapse could be imminent and accused it of resorting to "force and terror."
He also pledged that Germany would make efforts to persuade the European Union to designate Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps as a terrorist organization.
At the meeting, the Iranian diplomat voiced his country's strong protest, saying the German chancellor was in no moral position to preach about the Iranian people's human rights.
Yousefi also emphasized that any move aimed at labeling the elite branch of Iran's military as a terror organization would be in "flagrant violation" of international law as well as Iran's security and sovereignty, to which the country would definitely respond. ■
