Mephistopheles in Berlin: Iran slams German FM’s Faustian lies on the Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has denounced German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul’s remarks on the Strait of Hormuz, describing them as utterly shameful and a grotesque distortion of reality that reeks of the deceitful Mephistopheles in Goethe’s Faust.

In a statement on X on Monday night, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the German official’s rhetoric exposes Berlin’s complicity in the illegal US-Israeli war of aggression against the Islamic Republic.

“The German Foreign Minister’s rhetoric on the Strait of Hormuz is utterly shameful — a grotesque distortion of reality that reeks of Mephistopheles in Goethe’s Faust,” Baghaei stated.

“Germany must be held fully accountable for its complicity in military aggression against Iran and bear the heavy costs of its active participation in the crime of aggression,” he said.

“No amount of offensive posturing will allow the Berlin regime to evade responsibility for its role in this illegal war and the war crimes committed against the Iranian people,” Baghaei said.

The condemnation comes after Wadephul publicly opposed any form of tolls or service fees for transit through the Strait of Hormuz and claimed Iran must ultimately pay for mine-clearance operations while rejecting any incentives for Tehran’s cooperation.

Wadephul has also insisted the vital waterway must be reopened “without any restrictions whatsoever” and without the possibility of levying charges, a position Iranian officials view as blatant interference in the Islamic Republic’s sovereign rights.

The Strait of Hormuz remains under the full and exclusive authority of the Islamic Republic following the US-Israeli war of aggression.

Iranian forces, led by the IRGC Navy, continue to exercise intelligent control over all traffic through the strategic chokepoint.

Senior Iranian lawmakers have repeatedly stated that the management of the Strait of Hormuz is solely Iran’s responsibility as an inseparable part of national sovereignty.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has made it crystal clear that only Iran is in charge of reopening the waterway under the bilateral agreements reached with the United States, warning that any foreign meddling will only complicate the process.

Iran has introduced a structured system for safe passage, including the option of maritime service fees, a legitimate sovereign measure backed by regional partners such as Oman.

Western hypocrisy and complicity exposed

Germany’s posturing cannot erase its documented alignment with the US-led camp that waged the illegal war against Iran through sanctions, military support, and political cover.

Now, Berlin seeks to insert itself into post-conflict arrangements under the guise of “mine clearance” or “safeguarding” missions, moves Tehran has firmly rejected as provocative interference.

Iranian officials have warned time and again that the era of Western dictates over Iran’s territorial waters and security is over.

The Islamic Republic, which defended the Strait against foreign threats during the war, will not allow external powers to complicate stabilization or impose their will on Iranian sovereign assets.

Wadephul’s statements are a classic example of Western double standards. He is lecturing the world on “freedom of navigation” while supporting aggression and now trying to dictate terms to the very nation that suffered the illegal war and its consequences.