Tehran: Iran Thursday ordered a Swedish diplomat to leave the country within 48 hours in response to Sweden’s expulsion of an official at the Iranian embassy in Stockholm, while rejecting Sweden’s accusations against Tehran as “baseless.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Alireza Yousefi, director general for Western Europe at the ministry, summoned the Swedish ambassador to Iran Thursday morning and lodged a strong protest against Sweden’s “destructive” policies, particularly its “inappropriate rhetoric about Iran and hosting of anti-Iran terrorist groups and individuals.”
During the meeting, the Swedish ambassador was informed that a Swedish diplomat had been ordered to leave Iran within 48 hours “due to reasons that were explained to the ambassador,” the statement said, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Sweden’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that it had summoned Iran’s ambassador and asked an official at the Iranian embassy to leave the country over activities “not compatible with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.”
Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer later told state broadcaster SVT that the decision was made over Iran’s alleged activities against “Jewish and Israeli interests” in Sweden.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry rejected Sweden’s claims, saying Stockholm had, “in an unjustified move that is in violation of international law, compelled a diplomat serving at Iran’s embassy in Stockholm to leave the country without any justified reason.”
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It added that Sweden’s action was taken under Israel’s influence and constitutes an attempt to disrupt the normal operations of the Iranian embassy in Stockholm.
The ministry said Iran would adopt necessary measures to protect its national rights and interests, including through reciprocal actions.
According to the ministry, Sweden asked the Iranian diplomat to leave the country “without any justified reason” and made baseless allegations about Iran’s involvement in Sweden’s security affairs, Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.