Tehran has ordered a Swedish diplomat to leave the country within 48 hours, a day after Sweden expelled an Iranian embassy official in Stockholm. The move escalates a diplomatic dispute that has simmered between the two nations for years.
Iran's foreign ministry summoned Sweden's ambassador on Thursday to deliver the expulsion order. Alireza Yousofi, director-general for Western Europe at the ministry, conveyed Iran's protest against what he called Sweden's "destructive policies and its hosting of terrorist groups."
The Iranian statement described Sweden's decision to restrict the activities of one of its diplomats as "baseless" and suggested it was influenced by Israel. Tehran warned that any disruption to the Iranian embassy's work would engage Sweden's international responsibility under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Sweden's foreign ministry had summoned the Iranian ambassador on Wednesday, ordering the expulsion of a diplomat for "improper activities incompatible with the Vienna Convention." No further details were provided about the alleged activities.
A history of friction
The two countries have a track record of diplomatic confrontations. In June 2024, Sweden and Iran completed a prisoner swap that saw the release of two Swedish citizens, Johan Floderus and Saeed Azizi, in exchange for Hamid Nouri, a former Iranian prison official serving a life sentence in Sweden.
Nouri had been arrested at Stockholm's Arlanda Airport in 2019 under universal jurisdiction and convicted for his role in the mass execution of political prisoners in Iran in 1988. His conviction and the subsequent swap highlighted the deep legal and political tensions between the two states.
The latest expulsion comes as Sweden navigates a complex political landscape, with its centre-left holding a narrow lead in recent elections and the far right eyeing a historic role in government. The diplomatic row adds another layer to Sweden's international engagements, which have also included tensions with Russia, as seen in Denmark's recent summoning of the Russian ambassador over a naval incident.
Iran's reference to "hosting of terrorist groups" is a recurring theme in its criticism of Sweden, which has a significant Iranian diaspora community and has been a venue for opposition activities. Stockholm, for its part, has often been a vocal critic of Tehran's human rights record.
The Vienna Convention, which governs diplomatic relations, allows host states to declare any diplomat persona non grata, but such moves are rare and usually signal a serious deterioration in bilateral ties. The swift retaliation from Tehran suggests that both capitals are prepared to let the dispute escalate.
Analysts note that the expulsion is unlikely to have a major impact on broader European-Iranian relations, which are already strained over issues such as Iran's nuclear program and its support for regional proxies. However, it underscores the fragility of diplomatic channels between Tehran and European capitals.
For Sweden, the incident may complicate its efforts to maintain a balanced foreign policy while also addressing domestic concerns about security and migration. The country has been on alert for foreign interference, with researchers recently finding thousands of suspicious X accounts during its election period, a reminder of the information warfare that often accompanies such tensions.
As of now, neither government has indicated any willingness to back down. The expelled Swedish diplomat is expected to leave Iran within the 48-hour window, and the Iranian official has already departed Stockholm. Whether this exchange will remain a one-off or spiral into further measures remains to be seen.
