January 07, 2008	Monday	Zilhaj 27, 1428

TEHRAN: Iran expelled a German diplomat for ‘undiplomatic’ behaviour, the Foreign Ministry said on Sunday, following a report of an Iranian diplomat being ejected from Germany last July. “Responsible authorities recognised that this person was engaging in undiplomatic behaviour and has to leave Iran,” Mohammad Ali Hosseini told reporters during his weekly briefing, without revealing the diplomat’s name or giving any additional information.

A German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said late Saturday that she could only “confirm that a German diplomat has left Iran,” but declined to elaborate.

The expulsion of the diplomat came after the German weekly Der Spiegel reported that Germany had expelled an Iranian consular attaché last July. The Foreign Ministry in Berlin refused to confirm the report at the time and declined to do so again on Saturday. Iran also declined to comment on the report.—AP