Germany–Iran relations

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
German–Iranian relations
Map indicating locations of Germany and Iran

Germany
Iran
Diplomatic mission
Embassy of Germany, TehranEmbassy of Iran, Berlin

German–Iranian relations are the bilateral relations between

demonstrators."[3]

History

Qajar era

Unofficial relations between the

West-östlicher Divan (West-Eastern Divan) to Hafez in 1819 is an illustration of how far back such cultural ties go.[4]

During the

Tobacco movement, many Iranian intellectuals began searching for a "third force", which could be relied upon as a potential ally: Germany, which had largely remained out of the Great Game
.

When Iran's first modern university was first established,

Nasereddin Shah supported the idea of hiring them to serve as Darolfonoon's faculty, despite political pressures towards the contrary.[6] In that regard, it is even written that Amir Kabir always showed interest in discussing the structural system of Germany's government and society as a model for modernizing his country.[7]

During the

Jangal movement after being released from a British prison in Rasht: he was Mirza's closest ally. Another famous German agent in Iran (especially during World War I) was Wilhelm Wassmuss
, nicknamed the "German Lawrence".

Among commercial treaties, one can mention the June 6th, 1873 treaty signed in

Prince Bismarck
and Mirza Hussein Khan.

First Pahlavi era and Nazi Germany

In 1936 head of Reichbank and the financial mastermind of Nazi Germany travelled to Tehran and many important commercial agreements were signed between the two countries. In 1939, Nazi Germany sent over 7500 books with racial tones advocating for greater collaboration between Aryan

Crypto-jews
". Bahram Shahrukh, who was employed by German radio, performed fiery anti-Jewish broadcasts every night. In Purim 1941, Shahrukh promoted the idea of revenge for the massacre of the Purim in biblical times and suggested his Iranian followers attack the Jews. Nightly newspapers were distributed in Tehran and swastikas were often painted on Jewish homes and shops.

In order to fight the growing racial antisemitism among the Iranian population, many Jews joined the Tudeh party and advocated for communism. Even though Jews comprised less than 2 percent of the Iranian population, almost fifty percent of the members of the Tudeh party were Jewish. The Tudeh party was the only Iranian political party to accept Jews. Most writers for publications of the party were Jewish. Furthermore, many Iranian Jews viewed communism as a Jewish movement since many leading members of the communist revolution in Russia were Jewish and were looked upon favorably by Persian Jews.

Hassan Esfandiary and Mussa Nuri Esfandiari, the Iranian ambassador to the German Reich, meeting Adolf Hitler

The shelling of Iran's parliament by the Russians and the signing of the 1919 treaty firmly planted the roots of suspicion against Britain and Russia. Many people were aware of Wilhelm II's speech in Damascus in 1898 calling on all Muslims to rely on him as a true friend.[12] By the early 1930s, Reza Shah or the elder Reza Pahlavi's economic ties with Nazi Germany began worrying the Allied states. Germany's modern state and economy highly impressed the Shah, and there were hundreds of Germans involved in every aspect of the state from setting up factories to building roads, railroads and bridges.[13]

In 1936, the Hitler cabinet declared Iranians to be immune to the Nuremberg Laws, as they were considered to be "pure Aryans".[14] Abdol Hossein Sardari, an Iranian junior diplomat, tried to save many Persian Jews from extermination by convincing many Nazi officials to leave them alone.[15] Sardari was stationed in Paris at the time of the Nazi occupation.[16] His efforts led the Nazis to issue a directive that Iranian Jews should be exempt from wearing the yellow star of David. It is said that Sardari gave out between 500 and 1,000 Iranian passports, without the consent of his superiors. His actions are believed to have saved 2,000 to 3,000 Jewish lives, as passports were issued for entire families.[15]

In 1939, Germany provided Iran with the so-called German Scientific Library. The library contained over 7500 books selected "to convince Iranian readers... of the kinship between the National Socialist Reich and the Aryan culture of Iran".[17] In various pro-Nazi publications, lectures, speeches, and ceremonies, parallels were drawn between the Shah and Hitler, and praises were given to the charisma and the virtue of the Führerprinzip.[18]

For many decades, Iran and Germany had cultivated ties, partly as a counter to the imperial ambitions of Britain and Russia (later the Soviet Union). Trading with the Germans appealed to Iran because they did not have a history of imperialism in the region, unlike the British and the Russians.

From 1939 to 1941, Iran's top foreign trade partner (nearly 50% of its total trade) was Germany, which helped Iran in opening modern sea and air communications with the rest of the world.[19]

Demands from the Allies for the expulsion of German residents in Iran, mostly workers and diplomats, were refused by the Shah. A British embassy report in 1940, estimated that there were almost 1,000 German nationals in Iran.

Ettelaat newspaper, there were actually 690 German nationals in Iran (out of a total of 4,630 foreigners, including 2,590 British).[21] Jean Beaumont estimates that "probably no more than 3,000" Germans actually lived in Iran, but they were believed to have a disproportionate influence because of their employment in strategic government industries and Iran's transport and communications network".[22]
: 215–216 

However, the Iranians also began to reduce their trade with the Germans under Allied demands.[23][24] Reza Shah sought to remain neutral and to anger neither side, which was becoming increasingly difficult with the British and Soviet demands on Iran. Many British forces were already present in Iraq as a result of the Anglo-Iraqi War earlier in 1941. Thus, British troops were stationed on the western border of Iran prior to the invasion.

In 1941, the Allies forced Reza Shah to abdicate the throne to his son,

Mohammad Hosein Airom
, shared similar fates. The British believed that Zahedi was planning a general uprising in cooperation with German forces. He was arrested and found with German weapons and correspondence from a German agent. He was flown out of the country and interned in Palestine.

Signed Photograph of Adolf Hitler for Reza Shah Pahlavi in Original Frame with the Swastika and Adolf Hitler's (AH) Sign - Sahebgharanie Palace - Niavaran Palace Complex. The text below the photograph: His Imperial Majesty - Reza Shah Pahlavi - Shahanshah of Iran - With the Best Wishes - Berlin 12 March 1936 - The signature of Adolf Hitler

Second Pahlavi era

Postwar Iran came under the inescapable diplomatic shadow of the United States, which reduced the chances of further deepening relations between Tehran and Bonn. In commercial links, West Germany still remained well ahead of other European countries, even the United States, until 1974.[citation needed]

In 1972, after the visit to

Karun River south of Ahvaz.[26]

In 1975, West Germany became the second supplier of non-military goods to Iran. Valued at $404 million, West German imports amounted to nearly one-fifth of total Iranian imports.[27]

As the European country with the largest Iranian expatriate community, West Germany had the Shah's visits become the focus of much protest in the 1970s. As repression in Iran became more intense, the demonstrations became more vigorous. Many of Iran's intellectual ayatollahs, such as

Ayatollah Beheshti actually spent some years in cities like Hamburg
.

Since Iranian Revolution

Iranian Consulate in Hamburg. There are a reported 100,000 Iranians living in Germany.

foreign minister to visit Iran after the Islamic Revolution
in 1979, visiting Iran in 1984.

Although West Germany was a key technology supplier to Saddam Hussein during the Iran–Iraq War, especially to Saddam's chemical weapons program,[28][29][30] Germany also kept open relations with Iran in some industrial and civilian technological sectors.

After the war, Germany increasingly became a primary trading partner of Iran, with German goods worth about 3.6 billion

euros
being imported into Iran in 2004.

The 1992

Ayatollah Rafsanjani.[32]

In a 2004 letter to Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the then mayor of Tehran, objected to the commemorative plaque in front of the restaurant and called it an insult to Iran.[33]

In 1999, a German, Helmut Hofer, was arrested in Tehran after he had an affair with an Iranian woman. That caused some tremors in the domestic political landscape and the diplomatic relations of Tehran-Berlin.[34]

That was followed in 2005, when a German angler on vacation in the

Holocaust.[36] However, Tehran's tensions with Germany and most of the rest of Europe have eased considerably in recent years after the election of the more moderate Hassan Rouhani
as president in 2013.

2000s to 2010s

See also: Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
German Foreign Minister (now President) Frank-Walter Steinmeier meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Tehran

On 4 February 2006, the day that the

German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the annual Munich Conference on Security Policy that the world must act to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb.[37] With Germany having been one of the three European Union countries that had negotiated with Iran for two-and-a-half years in a bid to persuade Iran to stop its uranium enrichment program, Merkel said that Iran was a threat to both Europe and Israel.[38]

In July 2015, Germany was the

UN Security Council's five permanent members, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran, an agreement on the Iranian nuclear program. Following the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA in May 2018, Germany, along with the two other EU state signatories to the JCPOA (E3), issued a joint statement, which said, "It is with regret and concern that we, the Leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom take note of President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States of America from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Together, we emphasise our continuing commitment to the JCPoA. This agreement remains important for our shared security"[39]

2020s

In January 2020, Germany was among the E3 states that jointly formally informed the EU that they had registered their "concerns that Iran [was] not meeting its commitments under the JCPoA" and thereby triggered the dispute resolution mechanism under the JCPOA, a move that they said had "the overarching objective of preserving the JCPoA".[40] The move was thought to be aimed at pushing the sides back to the negotiating table.[41]

In September 2020, in the first coordinated move by the three countries, Germany, France and the UK summoned Iranian ambassadors in a joint diplomatic protest against Iran's detention of dual nationals and its treatment of political prisoners.[42] In December 2020, Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned the envoys from France and Germany, which held the EU rotating presidency, to protest French and EU criticism of the execution of the journalist Ruhollah Zam.[43]

On 3 November 2022, amid severe crackdown on ongoing protests by the Iranian government, the German government urged German citizens (concerning, "above all", dual German-Iranian citizens) to leave Iran, upon reported risks of arbitrary detentions and long prison terms.[44] In November, the German parliament passed a comprehensive package of measures against the Islamic Republic following a session on the current situation in Iran, intended to increase pressure on the regime in Tehran.[45]

In response to Iran sentencing German national Jamshid Sharmahd to death in February 2023, Germany summoned Iran's chargé d'affaires, declared two employees of the Iranian embassy personae non gratae and ordered them to leave the country.[46] Annalena Baerbock said that Germany would "not accept this massive breach of a German citizen's rights."[47] In retaliation, Iran declared two German diplomats as personae non gratae and ordered them to leave the country, accusing Germany of interfering in its judicial affairs.[48]

Trade

See also: Economy of Germany and Economy of Iran

Around 50 German firms have their own branch offices in Iran, and more than 12,000 firms have their own trade representatives in Iran. Several renowned German companies are involved in major Iranian infrastructure projects,l especially in the petrochemical sector, like

Lurgi, Krupp, Siemens, ZF Friedrichshafen, Mercedes, Volkswagen and MAN (2008).[49]

In 2005, Germany had the largest share of Iran's export market with $5.67 billion (14.4%).[50] In 2008, German exports to Iran increased 8.9% and were 84.7% of the total German-Iranian trade volume.

The overall bilateral trade volume until the end of September 2008 stood at 3.23 billion

euros, compared to 2.98 billion euros the previous year.[49][51] The value of trade between Tehran and Berlin has increased from around 4.3 billion euro in 2009 to nearly 4.7 billion euro in 2010.[52] According to German sources, around 80% of machinery and equipment in Iran is of German origin.[53]

The German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) has estimated that economic

sanctions against Iran may cost more than 10,000 German jobs and have a negative impact on the economic growth of Germany. Sanctions would hurt especially medium-sized German companies, which depend heavily on trade with Iran.[49]

There has been a shift in German business ties with Iran from long-term business to short-term and from large to mid-sized companies that have fewer business interests in the US and thus are less prone to American political pressure.[54] Around 100 German companies have branches in Iran and more than 1000 businesses work through sales agents, according to the German-Iranian Chamber of Industry and Commerce.[55]

After the official agreement between Iran and the West during the

Iran nuclear deal, Germany's economic relations with Iran began increasing once more. German exports to Iran grew more than 27% from 2015 to 2016.[56]

On 20 October 2018, the

Association of German Banks stated that exports from Germany to Iran have reduced to 1.8 billion euros since January.[57]

In 2022, Germany cancelled all export guarantees for companies dealing with Iran as a reaction to violent protests in the Islamic republic. German business deals with Iran were booming prior to 2022, as it exported €1.2 billion worth of goods, mostly automobile parts and pharmaceuticals. Iran has the largest automotive market in the Middle East region and many of the world’s car makers intend to enter or re-enter Iran’s market after sanctions are lifted.[58][59]

Resident diplomatic missions

  • Embassy of Iran in Berlin
    Embassy of Iran in Berlin

See also

References

  1. ^ History of the embassy office building and ambassador residence
  2. ^ Background and general status of bilateral relations between Iran and Germany
  3. ^ "Germany's relationship with Iran under fire as weak link against regime". Fox News.
  4. ^ The Influence of India and Persia on the Poetry of Germany. Arthur Frank Joseph Remy. 1901. Columbia University Press. MacMillan.
  5. ^ قهرمانان ملی ایران. Vol 3. عبدالرفیع حقیقت (A. Haghighat). 2004. p.77, 81
  6. ^ As quoted by J. Polak in: قهرمانان ملی ایران. Vol 3. عبدالرفیع حقیقت (A. Haghighat). 2004. p.84
  7. ^ قهرمانان ملی ایران. Vol 3. عبدالرفیع حقیقت (A. Haghighat). 2004. p.78
  8. ISBN 1-4039-6276-6
    p.48
  9. ^ Alireza Asgharzadeh. Iran and the Challenge of Diversity: Islamic Fundamentalism, Aryanist Racism, and Democratic Struggles. pp. 91–94. The Nazis found a favorable climate amongst the Iranian elite to spread fascistic and racist propaganda. The Nazi propaganda machine advocated the (supposedly) common Aryan ancestry of "the two Nations." In order to further cultivate racist tendencies, in 1936 the Reich Cabinet issued a special decree exempting Iranians from the restrictions of the Nuremberg Racial Laws on the grounds that they were 'pure-blooded' Aryans ... In various pro-Nazi publications, lectures, speeches, and ceremonies, parallels were drawn among Reza Shah, Hitler, and Mussolini to emphasize the charismatic resemblance among these leaders.
  10. ^ Hiro, Dilip (1987). Iran Under the Ayatollahs. Routledge & Kegan Paul Inc, p. 296
  11. ^ Keddie, Nikki R "Modern Iran: Roots and Results of Revolution", New Haven: Yale University Press, 2006 p. 101
  12. ^ Sidelights on Germany. Michael A. Morrison. 1918. p.80
  13. ISBN 1-85043-045-4
    p.40
  14. ^ Russia and the West in Iran 1918-1948. George Lenczowski. 1949. pp. 160-161.
  15. ^ a b Ahren, Raphael. "Beating the Nazis at their own game". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  16. ISBN 9780395410561
  17. ^ Lenczowski. 1944, p. 161
  18. ^ Rezun. 1982, p. 29
  19. ISBN 0-300-09856-1
    p.101
  20. ^ "Abbas Milani, Iran, Jews and the Holocaust: An answer to Mr. Black". iranian.com. Retrieved 2011-09-22.
  21. ^ "Iranian History (1941)".
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  26. ^ Iran Economic News, Volume 1
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  28. ^ "IRAQ: The West May Go on Trial with Saddam". Archived from the original on 2005-11-27. Retrieved 2006-01-29.
  29. ^ Reynolds, Paul (2003-12-16). "Middle East | How Saddam could embarrass the West". BBC News. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  30. ^ "Iraqi Scientist Reports on German, Other Help for Iraq Chemical Weapons Program". Fas.org. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  31. ^ Melman, Yossi (2007-10-11). "Israel fails to prevent Germany freeing Iranian". Haaretz. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  32. ^ Hakakian, Roya (2007-10-04). "The End of the Dispensable Iranian". Der Spiegel. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
  33. ^ "Germany and Iran Embroiled in Diplomatic Spat". Deutsche Welle. 28 April 2004. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  34. ^ [1] Archived December 17, 2004, at the Wayback Machine
  35. ^ Röbel, Sven (18 July 2009). "Horrorreise nach Teheran: In den Fängen der iranischen Justiz". Der Spiegel. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  36. ^ [2] [dead link]
  37. ^ "IAEA referral stokes Iranian defiance". CNN.
  38. ^ Germany's Chancellor Emphasizes Urgent Need for Action to Quash Nuclear Program in Iran. NYT, 5 February 2006.
  39. ^ Joint statement from Prime Minister May, Chancellor Merkel and President Macron following President Trump’s statement on Iran
  40. ^ E3 foreign ministers' statement on the JCPoA: 14 January 2020
  41. ^ Europe Puts What Remains of the JCPOA in Limbo. Foreign Policy, 12 February 2020.
  42. ^ Patrick Wintour (September 23, 2020), UK, France and Germany summon Iranian ambassadors over prisoners The Guardian.
  43. ^ John Irish (December 13, 2020) France, other European countries withdraw from business forum over execution Reuters.
  44. reuters.com
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  45. ^ "To Iran's Dismay, Germany Approves Package Of Punitive Measures". Iran International. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  46. ^ Rachel More and Friederike Heine (22 February 2023), Germany expels two Iranian embassy employees over death sentence Reuters.
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  48. ^ Elwely Elwelly (1 March 2023), Iran expels two German diplomats in tit-for-tat move Reuters.
  49. ^ a b c "German-Iranian trade up 7.8 percent". Payvand.com. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  50. ^ "The Cost of Economic Sanctions on Major Exporters to Iran". Payvand.com. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  51. ^ Service, Haaretz (2009-11-05). "Iran warns Germany: Don't let 'Zionists' harm your interests". Haaretz.com. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  52. ^ "Germany-Iran trade grows 9% in 2010". Payvand.com. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  53. ^ "German businesses should seize lucrative opportunities in Iran: NUMOV CEO - Tehran Times". Archived from the original on 2014-08-10. Retrieved 2014-07-22.
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  55. ^ Thomas, Andrea (3 August 2014). "German Business Looks to Renew Iran Contacts". Wsj.com. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  56. ^ German-Iranian business ties growing again Deutsche Welle
  57. ^ German Banks Report Sharp Fall In Iran Exports Amid New US Sanctions
  58. ^ Benjamin, W. (DECEMBER 16, 2022). "Germany earned over $1 billion from Iran trade amid Tehran’s repression" jpost. Accessed 25 March 2023.
  59. ^ Volkswagen restarts doing business in Iran Shanda Consult, Accessed 25 March 2023.

External links

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