WANA (Aug 17) – The German Embassy in Tehran has announced a temporary suspension of its activities, and the embassy will remain closed to visitors.

 

According to a statement from the German Federal Foreign Office, the decision to reopen the embassy will depend on an assessment of the security situation.

 

The embassy has emphasized that only applicants who previously submitted their passports to the mission will be able to collect them — but only by scheduling an appointment in advance.

 

This move comes after earlier reports indicated that the closure of several embassies during the recent “12-Day Sacred Defense” created major challenges for visa applicants. According to those reports, the passports of an estimated three to four thousand Iranian citizens remain stuck inside various embassies, leaving many — particularly students and athletes — facing serious difficulties in leaving the country.

 

Omid Mohammad Alikhan, a member of the Association of Iranian Travel Agencies, noted that consular operations at many embassies have not yet returned to normal. For example, the Swiss Embassy has suspended the issuance of tourist visas, the French Embassy is operating with restrictions, the South African Embassy remains closed, the Brazilian Embassy has not yet reopened, and the Japanese Embassy has announced it will resume services in the coming days.