Iran Must Not Get Away With It

The United States has long condemned Iran for sponsoring terrorism, but Washington has had little success in getting its friends to support punitive sanctions. The European allies have chosen instead to pursue what they call a “critical dialogue” with Tehran, meaning diplomatic, trade and other relations through which they hope to moderate Iran’s errant behavior. That policy has now suffered a keen embarrassment with a German court’s finding that in 1992 Iran’s top political leadership, led by President Hashemi Rafsanjani, directly ordered the murders of four Iranian Kurdish dissidents in Berlin.

In protest, Germany immediately recalled its ambassador from Iran--a step that stops short of a break in diplomatic relations--and all members of the European Union except Greece followed suit, along with Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Whether the confrontation will proceed beyond these symbolic gestures is unclear, but for now that seems improbable.

Germany is Iran’s biggest trading partner, and other European states remain eager to boost their sales in the growing Iranian market. On its part, the Tehran regime, which denies any wrongdoing, is apparently determined not to push matters too far. The demonstrators it has summoned into the streets are not being allowed to chant anti-German slogans. Instead, they have had to be content with their usual expressions of ill will toward America and Israel.

In short, none of the parties seem interested in further jeopardizing relations. But facts remain facts. After a three-year trial the German court found that top leaders flagrantly violated international law. The question is: What can be done beyond the expected minimum gestures of diplomatic protest?

This is a matter that Germany’s government, as well as the opposition parties, seems reluctant to confront. Yet clearly something more than a symbolic wrist slap is required if law-abiding nations are to maintain their credibility. Iran’s government stands accused of directing political murders on German soil. If some significant retribution is not exacted, Tehran will only conclude that it can get away with murder. The ugly truth is it will be right.