Baerbock’s stance toward Iran will be costly for Germany

Ebrahim Beheshti, Staffwriter -IRAN DAILY

The German government has adopted a stance against the Islamic Republic in the last two weeks that make the future of the relatively good relations between the two countries unclear.

Germany, like some European countries, is preparing to put more pressure on Tehran by supporting protests in Iran under the pretext of human rights. A spokesperson for the German government said on October 31 that “Berlin welcomes further EU sanctions against Iran”.

However, the strongest position against Tehran has been adopted by the foreign minister of the country, Annalena Baerbock, who recently maintained that they are considering classifying Iran’s Revolution Guards Corps as a terrorist group.

She had previously stated that the German government would impose further restrictions on Iran beyond an already announced EU sanctions package.

A few days ago, the German government, in support of Iran’s domestic protests, facilitated a rally for anti-government protesters in Berlin.

These extreme positions adopted by the German government toward Iran’s domestic developments come at a time when Tehran and Berlin have historically had relatively respectful and balanced relations.

Among European countries, Germany has been Iran’s largest trade partner. According to the latest report published in Eurostat, Germany was Iran’s biggest European trade partner in the current year’s first half, accounting for over one-third of the total transactions between Tehran and the EU.

It seems that an important part of the Berlin anti-Iranian stance comes directly from the views of the German foreign minister herself. Annalena Baerbock is the co-leader of Germany’s Green Party, which is notable for championing human rights. In other words, it seems that Baerbok is currently forcing her inclinations and interests on the German government.

Specifically, Berlin’s positions over the past months seem to be getting closer to Washington’s.

However, during the time of former chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany was trying to maintain its relative independence from the U.S. administration, especially during the presidency of Donald Trump.

If Berlin’s recent stance is sustained, it will overshadow the historical and relatively balanced relations between the two countries.

To the extent that Germany has been a reliable friend of Iran in the EU, Tehran has also offered significant advantages to Berlin. In fact, the continuation of bilateral diplomatic and economic relations was due to common concerns and interests.

Iran has been a significant market in the Middle East for German industries and manufacturers, while Berlin was a reliable partner that addressed Tehran’s technological needs.

In addition, Tehran has essentially been a barrier stopping the flow of immigrants pouring from Asia to Europe as well as the smuggling of drugs from East to West.

Naturally, adopting unconstructive approaches by the EU and the German government threatens common concerns and interests. Therefore, the responsibility for unforeseen consequences lies with Brussels and Berlin.

In the past, the European Union once recalled its ambassadors from Iran under the pretext of a terrorist attack, later known as the ‘Mykonos assassinations’, in Germany.

The EU again took the same measure when Salman Rushdie, the author of the ‘The Satanic Verses’, was declared guilty of apostasy. In both cases, however, the ambassadors were later compelled to return to Tehran.

Since Berlin has undergone these experiences, it behooves the German government to rethink its evaluations of Iran’s domestic developments, Tehran’s regional position, and the importance of bilateral diplomatic relations for both sides, and not increase the cost of its unconstructive approach toward Tehran.

The German government and the European Union should not fall prey to the delusions of some anti-Tehran groups based abroad or blow the recent rally in Berlin out of proportion.

It serves them to listen to the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani, who advised the EU yesterday to look at its interests independently and not tie them to the interests of the U.S., adding that the EU should adopt a “constructive, cooperative stance and not make the wrong bet regarding current developments in Iran.”