Norway expels Iranian diplomat in Tehran response

Norway's foreign ministry said on Wednesday it had asked Iran to remove one diplomat from Norway after Iranian authorities demanded one Norwegian diplomat leave Tehran.                    

Norway said Iran had protested against Norway granting political asylum to a former senior Iranian diplomat who quit last month in protest at a crackdown on anti-government demonstrators in Iran.                                           

"Norway reacts strongly to the fact that Iranian authorites have requested a Norwegian diplomat to leave Tehran because of an asylum case in Norway," the foreign ministry said in a statement.                                           

Mohammed Reza Heydari resigned as consul of the Iranian embassy in Oslo and went into hiding along with his family after a December crackdown by Tehran on protesters disputing the results of last year's presidential election.