Iran Retaliates by Shutting Down German Language Institute Amid Diplomatic Tensions

Iranian authorities have closed the last German embassy-certified language institute in Tehran in retaliation for Germany's actions against Islamic centers. The Institute For Teaching German Language was established in 1995 to teach German to Iranians but is now deemed 'illegal' for alleged breaches of Iranian law and financial violations.

Iranian authorities on Tuesday shut down the last language institute certified by the German embassy, according to local media, as a retaliatory measure against Germany's closure of Islamic centers in the European nation.

Nournews.ir, a source considered close to Iran's security apparatus, published an image of police dismantling the sign of the Institute For Teaching German Language, which was founded in Tehran in 1995 to promote the German language among Iranians, according to the German embassy's website.

Mizanonline.ir, a judiciary-affiliated news outlet, reported that judicial authorities accused the institute's two Tehran branches of being 'illegal centers linked to the German government,' implicating them in various unlawful activities and financial misconduct. The closure follows Germany's July shutdown of The Islamic Centre Hamburg and its affiliates, accused of supporting Hezbollah and the Iranian leadership's ideology.

Raids were conducted on 53 properties across Germany, targeting Imam Ali Mosque and other Hezbollah-linked sites. Since the Israel-Hamas conflict began in October, tensions and cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel have escalated. Iran, which does not recognize Israel, backs anti-Israeli militant groups like Hezbollah and Hamas.

This incident echoes a similar move in 1995 when Iran closed Tehran's Goethe International Institute, which was part of Germany's global network promoting cultural and educational exchange.

(With inputs from agencies.)