Is Germany doing enough to support Iran protesters?

Iran has witnessed weeks of mass protests and political unrest following the death of a young woman, Jina Mahsa Amini, in the custody of the nation's so-called morality police after she was detained for allegedly wearing the hijab, or head scarf, "improperly." 

Despite a severe clampdown, authorities have struggled to put an end to the demonstrations, which have turned into the biggest challenge confronting the country since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The protests, spearheaded by women, have called for the downfall of the Islamic regime and an end to strict rules on behavior and appearance.

Iran has sought to portray the uprising as a plot hatched by its archenemies in the West.

Germany, meanwhile, has repeatedly expressed support for the demonstrators and called for Tehran to end its violent crackdown.

Speaking in a podcast on Saturday evening, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed sharp criticism of the way the Iranian government has dealt with the protests.

"What kind of government are you that shoots at its own people?" he said. Anyone who acted in this way should expect resistance, the chancellor added.

New sanctions on Tehran

Berlin has also worked together with other European Union countries on a package of sanctions targeting select Iranian individuals and organizations for their suspected involvement in human rights violations.

On Monday, the EU foreign ministers agreed to introduce the new sanctions. 

Iranian officials and state-run media have slammed Berlin for its stance toward the protest movement, warning that it would cause "damage over the long-term."

Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani described Scholz's comments as "provocative, interfering and undiplomatic" and said they were damaging the two nations' ties. 

"We recommend that the German government find the way back to discretion so as to avoid further disruption of bilateral relations," Kanaani said.

Iran 'not in a position to put pressure'

Parviz Dastmalchi, a writer and political researcher, said threats from the Iranian government were unlikely to translate into any meaningful action.

"Iran is neither politically nor economically in a position to put pressure on Germany," Dastmalchi, a survivor of a 1992 attack that killed four Iranian Kurdish leaders at a restaurant called Mykonos in Berlin, told DW.

He pointed out that the Iranian economy "is ruined" and the country "is completely isolated in the world as well as in the region."

"The recent protest movement has worsened the situation for Iran's government," Dastmalchi added.

German-Iranian ties take a hit

Iranian authorities have repeatedly claimed that the German Embassy in Tehran was playing a major role in organizing the protests.

The Fars news agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported that German diplomats were coordinating the international diplomatic response to the protest movement.

Meanwhile, around 80,000 people gathered at a rally in Berlin last month to show solidarity with demonstrators in Iran — an event widely reported in Iranian media.

The demonstration irked Tehran, prompting hardliners to vow a strong response. The Javan newspaper, also affiliated with the IRGC, said that Germany "will pay a price for it."

"These threats are only meant to show people inside Iran that the regime is acting decisively against foreign governments that are critical of Tehran," said Dastmalchi, adding that there's no need for foreign capitals to take these threats seriously.

Nevertheless, relations between the two sides have been hit hard by the developments in recent weeks.

At the end of October, Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned the German Ambassador to Tehran Hans-Udo Muzel, accusing Berlin of interfering in the Islamic Republic's internal affairs.

It also blacklisted DW's Farsi-language service for its coverage of the protests, in addition to sanctions on over a dozen European officials, companies and institutions.

Berlin, meanwhile, imposed additional visa restrictions on holders of Iranian service and diplomatic passports. There were also further restrictions on existing business relations with Iranian banks.

Moreover, Germany issued a travel warning for Iran, saying there was a real risk of being arbitrarily arrested and sentenced to long prison terms, above all for dual nationals.

JCPOA hopes hindering further action?

In a sign of growing tensions, Iranian authorities recently allowed a protest rally to be held in front of the German Embassy in Tehran.

Dastmalchi said that the German government — despite staunchly defending the protesters, especially Iranian women — has yet to put enough pressure on Iran, as Berlin fears it could jeopardize efforts to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, the 2015 deal between Tehran and major world powers aimed at curtailing Iran's nuclear program.

"Germany still has a lot of hope for the JCPOA," said Dastmalchi.

The pact has been on life support since 2018, when then US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew Washington from the deal.

To resurrect it, the Biden administration and other global powers have been holding on-and-off talks with Iran since April 2021.

But US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in late October that he saw little hope of restoring the nuclear deal in the near term given disagreements with Tehran.

What's expected of Germany?

Dastmalchi said Berlin should focus on helping Iranian protesters instead of worrying about the prospects for a nuclear deal with the Islamic regime.

Haleh Ramandi, an Iranian political activist who is currently based in the German city of Bremen, shares a similar view.

She said Berlin's stance toward the regime and the demonstrators plays an important role in strengthening the protest movement as well as shaping the narrative both inside and outside Iran.

"In my opinion, people in Iran want the Islamic Republic to be diplomatically isolated. With targeted sanctions, Germany can isolate Iran at the global level."

Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru