Tehran: Iran expelled a German diplomat for "undiplomatic" behaviour, the Foreign Ministry confirmed today.

"Responsible authorities recognised that this person was engaging in undiplomatic behaviour and has to leave Iran," Mohammad Ali Hosseini told reporters during his weekly briefing. Hosseini didn't name the diplomat nor gave any additional information.

A German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said yesterday that she could only "confirm that a German diplomat has left Iran," but declined to elaborate.
Speculation is ripe that the expulsion of the German diplomat is an Iranian reaction to Germany's reported expulsion last July of an Iranian consular attache from Germany.

German weekly Der Spiegel reported last month that the Iranian diplomat identified only as Mohraramali D, had contacted a specialist firm in Bavaria, apparently in hopes of buying a component that could be used in the uranium enrichment process. The Foreign Ministry in Berlin refused to confirm the report at the time and declined to do so again yesterday.

Source : PTI