TEHRAN – Following the closure of Iranian consulates in Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Munich, the Iranian Embassy in Berlin announced the centralization of all consular services at its location, effective November 18th. 

On Saturday, a notice to Iranians in Germany explained that all consular services previously offered at the three closed consulates will now be provided exclusively at the Berlin embassy.

The embassy's announcement noted that per instructions from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, other Iranian diplomatic missions in Europe will also be offering support to Iranian citizens in Germany.

Last month, Germany announced the closure of Iran’s three consulates in the country citing the death of a “German citizen” in Iran.

Jamshid Sharmahd, a notorious terror ringleader responsible for a harrowing 2008 bombing that killed 14 civilians, had been sentenced to death by Iran’s judiciary but died in October before he could be brought to justice. 

Sharmahd led the Tondar terrorist group and often appeared on Western-based TV channels to boast about his killing of innocent civilians. 

Germany’s decision to overlook the needs of over 250,000 Iranian citizens living in the European country in support of a terrorist drew the ire of both the Iranian people and Iranian officials, with Foreign Minister Araghchi asking his German counterpart to stop hiding behind “hypocritical human rights slogans.”

“A German passport does not provide impunity to anyone, let alone a terrorist criminal,” the top diplomat said on X, adding, “Your government is an accomplice in the ongoing Israeli genocide. Germany is the No#2 provider of lethal weapons to Israel for its genocidal campaign in Gaza and carnage in Lebanon. Look around. Even your own people ridicule your arrogant human rights claims.”

Photo: Iran's embassy in Berlin