TEHRAN – Iran announced Wednesday that it was declaring two German diplomats based in Tehran as persona non grata in a tit-for-tat move.

In a statement on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani said Tehran has expelled two German diplomats after declaring them persona non grata because of the meddling and irresponsible actions of the German government in regard to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s internal and judicial affairs.

Kanaani referred to the summoning of the German ambassador by the director general of the Western Europe Department at Iran's Foreign Ministry to notify him of the decision, saying Tehran will act decisively in the face of the excessive demands on the part of foreign countries.

Kanaani stressed that Iran’s priority has always been to maintain interaction based on respect but if the other sides intend to ignore “our principles and sovereignty, resorting to other options will be inevitable."

The Iranian move appears to have come in response to Germany declaring two Iranian diplomats in Berlin as persona non grata. 

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in statement that Germany decided to declare “two Iranian embassy staff members to be persona non grata and ordering them to leave Germany immediately.”

The development comes against a backdrop of rising tensions between Iran and Europe. In recent days, Britain, Germany, and Austria have summoned the Iranian ambassadors each for various reasons.