The move came after Sweden expelled an Iranian embassy official over activities Stockholm said were incompatible with the Vienna Convention.
TEHRAN – Web Desk: Iran has ordered a Swedish diplomat to leave the country within 48 hours, escalating a diplomatic dispute that began after Sweden expelled an Iranian embassy official from Stockholm.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Swedish ambassador in Tehran on September 17 and informed him that one Swedish diplomat would have to leave Iran within the specified period. Tehran described the move as a reciprocal response to Sweden’s earlier action.
Sweden had expelled Iranian embassy official
Sweden expelled an Iranian embassy official on September 16, saying the diplomat had engaged in activities that were not compatible with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said the decision was taken after Swedish authorities concluded that the official’s activities were inconsistent with diplomatic rules.
Swedish authorities have also accused Iran of conducting activities that threaten security in and against Sweden, including targeting opponents of the Iranian government as well as Jewish and Israeli interests.
Iran has rejected those allegations as baseless.
Tehran announces reciprocal action
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said its Director General for Western Europe, Alireza Yousefi, summoned the Swedish ambassador and conveyed Tehran’s formal protest.
According to Iranian state media, the ambassador was told that a Swedish diplomat in Tehran had been given 48 hours to leave the country. Iran described the expulsion of its official by Sweden as unjustified and said it would take reciprocal measures to protect its interests.
Iran also accused Sweden of pursuing policies hostile to Tehran and objected to what it described as Sweden’s hosting of anti-Iranian groups.
Those statements represent the Iranian government’s position and have not been independently established as facts.
Sweden cites security concerns
Swedish authorities have maintained broader concerns about Iranian security activities inside Sweden.
The Swedish Security Service, known as Säpo, has previously said that Iranian intelligence and security services have conducted activities against Sweden, including intelligence gathering, monitoring opponents of the Iranian government and using criminal networks in some cases.
In its 2025–2026 security assessment, Säpo said Iran had engaged in security-threatening activities involving intelligence gathering, pressure and surveillance of opposition figures. It also said Iranian-linked criminal networks had been used in activities targeting Israeli and Jewish interests in Sweden.
These assessments provide context for Stockholm’s security concerns, but they do not by themselves establish the specific allegations against the Iranian diplomat expelled on September 16.
Diplomatic tensions deepen
The reciprocal expulsions represent a further deterioration in relations between Tehran and Stockholm.
Iran’s decision came just one day after Sweden’s move, making the sequence a direct diplomatic response according to Tehran and international reporting. Reuters described the action as retaliatory, while AFP reported that Sweden’s allegations concerned security-related activities and that Iran rejected them.
The dispute also highlights the role of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the international framework governing diplomatic missions and personnel.
Sweden’s government notes that diplomatic privileges and immunities are governed by the Vienna Convention, while diplomatic personnel can be declared unwelcome by a host state under established diplomatic practice.
The immediate consequence is the departure of the Swedish diplomat from Iran within the 48-hour period set by Tehran.
The latest developments do not indicate whether Stockholm intends to impose another reciprocal measure. Further diplomatic action could depend on how Sweden responds to Tehran’s expulsion order.
