Iranian cleric ordered to leave Germany

The head of the Islamic Center of Hamburg (IZH), Mohammad Hadi Mofatteh, has been ordered to leave Germany after the center and its affiliates were banned for promoting radical Islamist goals.

The Hamburg Interior Department issued a deportation notice to Mofatteh, 57, mandating his departure within two weeks, German media reported Thursday.

If he fails to comply, he will be forcibly expelled from Germany at his own expense by September 11. He is also prohibited from re-entering or residing in Germany, with a penalty of up to three years in prison if he disobeys the order.

This action follows the deportation of Nasir Niknejad, the Iran-linked Imam of the Islamic Center in Berlin in late June, highlighting the German government's ongoing efforts to counter Iranian influence within its borders.

The closure of the Hamburg Islamic Center, known to be under the control of Iran's Supreme Leader, has provoked a retaliatory response from Tehran. 

Last week, Iranian security forces stormed and shut down a German Embassy-affiliated language school in Tehran in what appears to be a response to the closure of the Islamic Center of Hamburg and the Blue Mosque.