German Diplomat: Iran Damages Itself by Spying in Europe

Wolfgang Ischinger, a seasoned German diplomat, stated on Thursday, January 17, that the Iranian government is harming Europe's efforts to maintain the JCPOA through actions such as the recent suspected espionage case involving a member of the German armed forces. However, Mr. Ischinger, the head of the Munich Security Conference, warned that Europe should not exit this agreement like the United States did, as the goal of the JCPOA was solely to halt Iran's nuclear activities and not its behavior in the region or its espionage activities. The German government, which, along with France, is leading efforts to preserve the JCPOA, has conveyed its deep concern to Iranian diplomatic officials regarding the arrest of a German-Afghan citizen on suspicion of espionage for the Iranian government on Tuesday. A spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry stated, 'On January 15, we explicitly raised this issue with the Iranian embassy's representative and expressed our deep concern regarding suspected espionage activities.' Wolfgang Ischinger condemned Iran's actions but noted that it is naive to think that Iran or any other government would cease its espionage activities even with a formal agreement in place. He added, 'Iran must be smart enough to understand that such actions will ultimately harm its own country by damaging the political atmosphere surrounding the JCPOA. However, this does not mean we should tear up the JCPOA.' Mr. Ischinger mentioned that Iran's actions in Germany and other countries have heightened political concerns and overshadowed efforts to preserve the JCPOA. He also announced that Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, is among over a hundred senior officials from various countries who will participate in this year's Munich Security Conference (February 15-17). Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, and Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, are among the officials who will attend this conference.