Iran summons German ambassador after protest in Munich: state media

Iran summoned Germany's ambassador on Tuesday to protest recent "anti-Iran activities" following a major demonstration in Munich over the weekend, state media reported. Saturday's protest in Munich, which police estimated some 250,000 people took part in, was addressed by Reza Pahlavi, the son of the shah ousted by the Islamic revolution in 1979 and a critic of the current authorities.

"Following anti-Iran activities in Germany and destructive positions taken by officials of this country against the Islamic Republic of Iran in violation of international law, Axel Dittmann, Germany's ambassador in Tehran, was summoned to the foreign ministry and Iran's strong protest was conveyed to him," the official IRNA news agency said. "The German ambassador said he would convey Iran's strong protest and deep dissatisfaction to Berlin."

Iran recently saw a wave of anti-government protests that grew out of demonstrations over the high cost of living. In the wake of the protests last month, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had said he believed "we are now witnessing the last days and weeks of this regime". Iranian authorities say the protests began peacefully before turning into "foreign-instigated riots", which they blamed on the United States and Israel.

Tehran has acknowledged that more than 3,000 people died during the unrest, including members of the security forces and bystanders, attributing the violence to "terrorist acts". International organisations have put the toll far higher. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) says more than 7,000 people were killed, most of them protesters.