Germany scales back Tehran embassy services as ambassador departs
Germany’s ambassador to Iran Markus Potzel announced he is ending his mission in Tehran for "personal reasons," and that the visa section is now operating at reduced capacity.
Germany’s ambassador to Iran Markus Potzel announced he is ending his mission in Tehran for "personal reasons," and that the visa section is now operating at reduced capacity.
Potzel said the embassy would reduce its staff, which will lead to stricter visa issuance for applicants inside Iran.
“I’ve seen many changes this year. Iran today is different from a year ago. I wish you all peace, stability, and the fulfillment of your dreams. I hope to return and see your aspirations fulfilled,” Potzel said.
The ambassador made the remarks in a farewell video on the German Embassy’s Instagram account, delivering a short message in Persian.
The announcement came one day after a group of Iranian visa applicants protested outside the German Embassy in Tehran, denouncing the embassy’s refusal to issue visas.
On August 13, more than 550 individuals — including activists, journalists, human rights defenders, and victims of eye injuries from the Woman, Life, Freedom movement — wrote to the German government urging the immediate resumption of visa processing for at-risk political and civil activists, trade unionists, journalists, and injured victims.
Several embassies and consulates in Iran suspended services in June during the 12-day war with Israel.
Citing security concerns, the German Embassy relocated some consular staff to other countries in the region but continues to provide limited services in Iran.
Austria on Thursday announced the suspension of all consular services in Iran until further notice.
“We are working to re-establish the conditions which would allow us to resume consular services at the Embassy in Tehran,” Alena Baur, deputy spokesperson for the Austrian foreign ministry in Vienna, told Iran International via email.
“As of today, there is no concrete indication when consular services will resume,” Baur said.
The embassies of Portugal, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom also suspended their activities in June due to Israel’s military campaign against Iran but have since resumed operations.
The Czech Embassy also halted services in June and has not yet resumed, though it announced plans to gradually restart operations in September.
The closure of foreign embassies in Tehran during and after the 12-day war left between 3,000 and 4,000 Iranian passports stuck in diplomatic missions, stranding visa applicants, Iranian officials said earlier this month.
