Germany rejects Iranian complaint over stance on protests

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s foreign minister has rejected a complaint by her Iranian counterpart that she was taking an “interventionist” stance over protests in Iran and pushed back against his pledge of a “firm” response. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian wrote in a tweet addressed to Germany’s Annalena Baerbock on Thursday that “provocative, interventionist & undiplomatic stances don’t signal sophistication & wisdom.” His comments followed a speech to the German parliament by Baerbock on Wednesday in which she said that Berlin won’t let up in pursuing further sanctions against Tehran over its crackdown on protests. She said Germany also is working to secure a special meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Council on Iran.