Germany and Iran trade diplomatic summonses after Hamburg court plot convictions

Germany and Iran have exchanged diplomatic summonses after a Hamburg court convicted two men over an alleged Tehran-linked plot to kill two prominent German Jewish figures. The case has intensified a row between Berlin and Tehran, with each side rejecting the other's accusations. The dispute centres on findings by the German court that the men were involved in planning attacks against the leaders of two Jewish organisations in Germany.

Iran's foreign ministry summoned Germany's ambassador, Axel Dittmann, after Berlin had already summoned Iran's ambassador, Majid Nili Ahmadabadi. Tehran accused Germany of making what it called baseless political allegations and said the case was being given a judicial veneer. Germany, in turn, said the alleged assassination attempts against Josef Schuster and Volker Beck would have legal consequences and that attacks on Jewish life would not be tolerated.

The Hamburg court convicted a Danish national and an Afghan national on Thursday. The Danish defendant, partially identified as Ali Hassan S, was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison, while the Afghan defendant received four and a half years. The court said the pair had been steered by Iran's intelligence service, and the judge described their actions as terrorist activities orchestrated by Iran.

The men had been arrested in Denmark last year and later extradited. The case carries wider significance because it touches on allegations of state-directed violence beyond Iran's borders and on the security of Jewish leaders in Germany. Josef Schuster heads Germany's main Jewish community organisation, while Volker Beck leads the German-Israeli society.

The row also adds to already strained relations between Germany and Iran, with both governments using formal diplomatic channels to register their protests. Iran denied any role in the alleged plot and said the accusations were being advanced by Iran's enemies. The Iranian embassy in Berlin had earlier rejected what it called unfounded allegations.

Germany has not publicly detailed any further steps beyond the summons of the Iranian ambassador, but its foreign ministry said the matter would have legal consequences. The exchange suggests the dispute is now moving from the courtroom into a broader diplomatic confrontation. What remains unclear is whether the diplomatic row will lead to additional measures from either government or affect wider bilateral contacts.

It is also not clear whether further legal proceedings will follow the convictions in Hamburg. For now, the case stands as a rare example of a domestic court ruling quickly escalating into a direct exchange between two foreign ministries.

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