IRAN ELECTION AFTERMATH: GERMAN MFA QUESTIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 000752 SIPDIS, NEA/IR, P STAFF, SAGSWA, EUR/CE E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/23/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV GM IR SUBJECT: IRAN ELECTION AFTERMATH: GERMAN MFA QUESTIONS IRAN'S AMBASSADOR ON ACCUSATORY COMMENTS Classified By: Acting Political Section Chief William Moeller for reaso ns 1.4(b)/(d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: In a meeting with the Iranian ambassador to Berlin on June 22, a senior German MFA official raised Germany's concerns about accusatory comments made by Iranian officials against Western embassies in Tehran earlier that day. According to an MFA contact, the Iranian ambassador stated that while Iran considered comments about the Iranian election by German politicians to be "disappointing," Iran "distinguishes" between Germany and the U.K. and France, and sought to reassure that steps against the U.K. were unlikely. The Iran Desk added that the June 22 Iranian media report of arrests of German "spies" was likely an outdated reference to the brief detentions of German media technicians on the sidelines of last week's demonstrations. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) German MFA Iran Desk officer Thomas Henzschel provided Iran Watcher a readout of the June 22 meeting between MFA Near Eastern Affairs A/S-equivalent Andreas Michaelis with Iranian Ambassador to Germany Alireza Sheikh Attar. Michaelis had "invited" ("not summoned" as reported in the German media, emphasized Henzschel) Sheikh Attar to discuss June 22 statements by Iranian MFA spokesman Hassan Qashqavi, in which Qashqavi reportedly accused European countries of interfering in the Iranian elections and of supporting "some of the rioters." According to press reports, Qashqavi also implied that Iranian missions overseas, including in Germany, had been damaged during protests with the host government's knowledge. (NOTE: This is a reference to the vandalism and small fire set last week at the Iranian Consulate General in Frankfurt). ¶3. (C) Henzschel reported that Sheikh Attar told Michaelis that Iran distinguishes between how it should treat the United Kingdom and France, on one hand, and Germany, on the other. Sheikh Attar expressed the Iranian government's "disappointment" with statements about the elections made by German politicians, but noted that it seemed these statements had been made "under pressure." He also noted that Germany was applying double standards, as it had not raised concerns about the Shah government's acts of violence against protesters in 1978. ¶4. (C) Henzschel noted that Sheikh Attar also took a relatively conciliatory line with Michaelis regarding the situation of the U.K. Embassy in Tehran. Sheikh Attar told Michaelis that in his tenure as a career diploamt, there had been many calls by Iranian demonstrators to cut relations with the British, but such a break had never come to pass. Sheikh Attar noted that he had spoken with Iranian Deputy FM Safari and that no actions against the European embassies in Tehran had been planned. Henzschel commented that, while normally very well-connected and -informed, it is not clear if Sheikh Attar has access to key decisionmakers and information in the aftermath of Iran's June 12 election. (NOTE: Prior to becoming Ambassador to Germany, Sheikh Attar was the Iranian MFA's Vice Foreign Minister (Deputy Secretary-equivalent)). ¶5. (C) Henzschel noted that the British Foreign Office is expecting several of its diplomats in Tehran to be declared persona non grata. (NOTE: The U.K. government announced later on June 22 that its embassy in Iran would move to ordered departure for family members.) He also mentioned German concern that the German Community School, located on British Embassy property, may be forced to close in the coming days before the conclusion of its school year. ¶6. (C) Regarding the June 22 Fars News report that German "spies" had been arrested, Henzschel commented that the Iranian government is likely recycling the fact that two German journalists had been briefly detained "for their own protection" on the sidelines of one of the demonstrations last week. The German Embassy in Tehran has reported no new arrest cases, he said. Koenig