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Iran orders two German diplomats to leave -paper

TEHRAN: Iran has ordered out two German diplomats in retaliation for Germany's expulsion of two Iranian diplomats, an Iranian newspaper reported on Sunday.

"It has been ordered that the two German diplomats should leave Iran because of behaviour inconsistent with diplomatic activities," Jomhuri Islami said in an unsourced report.

"It was a reciprocal action in connection with the expulsion of two Iranian diplomats in Germany," the daily said.

The Iranian newspaper Kayhan reported on Saturday that Germany has expelled two Iranian diplomats and gave them two days to leave the country.

In Bonn, a German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said she had no comment on the reported tit-for-tat expulsions. Earlier on Sunday she said the ministry knew nothing about the reported expulsion of Iranian diplomats.

There was no official comment from Iranian authorities.

Johmuri Islami named the German diplomats as Matthias Gutzeit and George Stollenwerk and said they must leave within two weeks.

Kayhan said Bonn expelled the Iranian diplomats after French police questioned two Iranian diplomats over a bomb blast that injured 17 people in Paris this month.

French authorities have said they suspect Algerian Moslem militants to be behind the blast and another one on July 25 which killed seven people in Paris.-Reuter