Tehran has rejected any connections to a German army translator who is currently accused of carrying out espionage on behalf of Iran.
"We are not surprised by this news, which comes amid unjust security accusations raised by those who seek to sabotage relations between Iran and Europe at this important and sensitive stage," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi pointed out.
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He also referred to those who oppose "old and historic relations" between Iran and "many European countries", including signatories to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
These people are "making every effort to lodge charges and make allegations in order to make these relations strained", Qassemi added.
The statement came after the German magazine Der Spiegel reported earlier this week that a 50-year-old Bundeswehr employee, who allegedly colluded with the Iranian intelligence service for several years, has been arrested in Germany.
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"Abdul Hamid S. is strongly suspected of having worked for a foreign intelligence agency. The suspect was a language expert and cultural adviser for the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces). In this capacity, he is believed to have passed insights to an Iranian intelligence agency," Der Spiegel cited the federal prosecutor’s office as saying in a statement.
While the German Foreign Ministry has already expressed serious concern about the alleged incident, the country's Defence Ministry have not confirmed the report yet, but said that it was informed about the Abdul Hamid S. espionage case.
Earlier, the European Union added two Iranians and an Iranian intelligence unit to its terrorist list. Tehran condemned the move, which it said has been based on allegations the Islamic Republic was seeking to carry out terrorist operations on European soil.
