Tehran’s move comes a day after Sweden ordered an Iranian embassy official to leave Stockholm over activities it said were incompatible with the Vienna Convention.
WEB DESK: Iran has ordered a Swedish diplomat to leave the country within 48 hours, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday, in a reciprocal move following Sweden’s expulsion of an Iranian embassy official from Stockholm.
Iranian authorities also summoned Sweden’s ambassador in Tehran and conveyed a formal protest over what Tehran described as Sweden’s policies toward Iran.
Sweden Expels Iranian Embassy Official
The latest diplomatic dispute began on Wednesday, September 16, when Sweden’s Foreign Ministry summoned Iran’s ambassador and ordered an official working at the Iranian embassy in Stockholm to leave the country.
Sweden said the decision was based on activities it considered incompatible with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The Swedish government did not provide further details about the specific activities in its initial statement.
The Vienna Convention establishes the legal framework governing diplomatic missions and their privileges and obligations.
Iran Calls Sweden’s Action Unjustified
Iran rejected Sweden’s allegations and described the expulsion of its embassy official as unjustified.
According to Iran’s Foreign Ministry, the Swedish ambassador was summoned on Thursday by Alireza Yousefi, director general for Western Europe at Iran’s Foreign Ministry. During the meeting, Tehran formally protested Sweden’s actions and informed the ambassador that a Swedish diplomat in Iran would have to leave within 48 hours.
Iran also criticized what it described as Sweden’s policies and rhetoric toward Tehran.
Reciprocal Diplomatic Action
The decision represents a reciprocal diplomatic response, with each country ordering an official from the other side to leave following accusations involving diplomatic activities.
Reuters reported that Iran described Sweden’s move as “unjustified” and said it had summoned the Swedish ambassador to protest Sweden’s policies toward Iran.
Sweden, meanwhile, has publicly maintained that its decision was based on activities it considered incompatible with the Vienna Convention, without publicly detailing the specific conduct involved.
Diplomatic Tensions Between Tehran and Stockholm
The latest dispute adds to broader tensions between Iran and Sweden in recent years.
The two countries have previously been involved in diplomatic disputes, including over Swedish nationals detained in Iran and the 2024 prisoner exchange involving Johan Floderus and Saeed Azizi and former Iranian prison official Hamid Nouri.
