Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Berlin, September 27, 2008 — Germany has recalled its ambassador to Iran because a German diplomat attended a military parade in Tehran, a foreign ministry spokeswoman said Saturday. The spokeswoman confirmed a report in the news magazine Der Spiegel that Ambassador Herbert Honsowitz had been told to report to Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Monday morning.

The magazine said the foreign minister was “very angry” that the embassy’s defense attache attended the parade after ambassadors from EU member states had agreed to boycott it.

A banner reading “Israel should be erased from the world” was displayed at the event, which was addressed by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the report said.

Der Spiegel said Monday’s meeting was intended to clarify whether the ambassador had failed to give proper instructions to his defence attache.