Diplomatic relations Diplomacy is the communication by representatives of state, intergovernmental, or non-governmental institutions intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern Diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. ...

between the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

and

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

(

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

) have existed since the 17th century. However, the relationship changed significantly after the

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution (, ), also known as the 1979 Revolution, or the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (, ) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Impe ...

Development

Beginning the relation in 17th century

Political relations between Persia and the Netherlands started under Shah Abbas I. In 1626, the first Persian ambassador to Holland, Mousa Beig () presented his credentials at the

States-General of the Netherlands The States General of the Netherlands ( ) is the supreme bicameral legislature of the Netherlands consisting of the Senate () and the House of Representatives (). Both chambers meet at the Binnenhof in The Hague. The States General originated i ...

. The Dutch ambassador Jan Smidt went to

Isfahan Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...

and met with Shah Safi in 1629.

20th century

Prince-Bernhard-Shah of Persia-Queen Farah-1970

In the 1960s and 1970s, the Persian and Dutch royal families made various state visits to each other's countries.

Relations with the Islamic Republic

The Netherlands has condemned Iran over its nuclear program. In 2011, the Dutch Foreign Minister announced the suspension of official relations between the Netherlands and Iran, after the Dutch-Iranian Zahra Bahrami was executed in Iran. On June 7, 2018, the Netherlands expelled two Iranian diplomats accredited to the Iranian embassy. In response, Iran summoned the Dutch ambassador in July 2018. In January 2019, the government of the Netherlands accused Iran of having arranged the assassinations of two Dutch nationals of Iranian origin: Mohammad-Reza Kolahi in 2015, and Ahmad Molla Nissi in 2017. The incident caused outcry both in the Netherlands and internationally; EU responded with sanctions against Iranian intelligence. Iranian officials in turn accused the Netherlands of supporting the

People's Mujahedin of Iran The People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), also known as Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) or Mojahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO) (), is an Iranian dissident organization. It was an armed group until 2003, afterwards transitioning into a politica ...

with its members in western Europe, who

Mohammad-Reza Kolahi Mohammad-Reza Kolahi () (1958–15 December 2015) was a member of the People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) who, according to Iranian authorities, was suspected of planting a bomb at the headquarters of the Islamic Republican Party (IRP) that killed ...

is believed to be a part of. In January 2024, the Dutch government summoned the Iranian ambassador to the Netherlands following the death of a Dutch baby in an attack by Iran on

Erbil Erbil (, ; , ), also called Hawler (, ), is the capital and most populated city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The city is the capital of the Erbil Governorate. Human settlement at Erbil may be dated back to the 5th millennium BC. At the h ...

Trade

The Netherlands was formerly one of Iran's leading trade partners in Europe. At least 65 Dutch companies have economic ties with the Islamic Republic. In spite of economic sanctions imposed by the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

Shell Shell may refer to: Architecture and design * Shell (structure), a thin structure ** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses Science Biology * Seashell, a hard outer layer of a marine ani ...

, a UK-registered Anglo-Dutch oil company continues to buy billions in crude oil from Iran each year.

Political-economic conflicts

In 1974, Iranian students occupied the Iran Embassy in

Wassenaar Wassenaar (; population: in ) is a municipality and town located in the province of South Holland, on the western coast of the Netherlands. An affluent suburb of The Hague, Wassenaar lies north of that city on the N44/A44 highway near the Nort ...

, out of protest against suppression and executions in Iran. Considering the 100 guilder fine too low a punishment for the students, the Iranian government suspended all imports from the Netherlands for a while. In 2008,

Alaeddin Boroujerdi Alaeddin Boroujerdi () (born 21 March 1951) is a member of the Iranian Parliament since 2024. He was also a member of the Iranian Parliament between years of 2000 to 2020. He is former chairman for the Committee for Foreign Policy and National ...

, head of Iran's Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, warned the Netherlands not to air

Geert Wilders Geert Wilders (born 6 September 1963) is a Dutch politician who has led the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) since he founded it in 2006. He is also the party's leader in the House of Representatives. Wilders is best known for his right-wing p ...

' anti-Muslim film '' Fitna''. Iran has criticized the Netherlands for funding

Radio Zamaneh Radio Zamaneh () is an Amsterdam-based Persian language exile news platform and former radio broadcaster with a leftist approach. "Zamaneh" is the Persian literary term for "time". Radio Zamaneh is an independent Persian-language exile media and ...

. During the 2009 public unrest and demonstrations in Iran,

Majid Ghahremani Majid or majeed may refer to: * , ''majīd'' 'majestic', and , ''mājid'' 'magnificent', two names of God in Islam Given name * Majed (name), or variant spellings, including a list of people with the given name or family name Arts and entertainme ...

, Iranian ambassador to the Netherlands, accused the Dutch government of interfering in Iran's internal affairs. A Dutch foreign ministry spokeswoman said subsidies to the radio station would be continued, with the aim of improving the situation of

human rights in Iran From the Imperial Pahlavi dynasty (1925 to 1979), through the Iranian Revolution, Islamic Revolution (1979), to the era of the Islamic Republic of Iran (1979 to current), government treatment of Iranian citizens' rights has been criticized by ...

Cultural relations

In 2011, Iran established a series of cultural exhibits showing pictures featuring Iran's historical monuments and tourist attractions.

Resident diplomatic missions

* Iran has an embassy in

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

. * the Netherlands has an embassy in

Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

References

Literature

* Herbert, Thomas. ''Travels in Persia 1627-1629''. Edited by Sir Williams Foster, London, 1928. *
Perzië Blokkeert Import Uit Ons Land
'. Nieuwsblad van het Noorden, 19-04-1974. * Meilink, M. A. P. ''The earliest Relations between Persia and the Netherlands''. "Persica" (Annual of the Dutch-Iranian Society), Vol. 6, 1974. * Hotz, A. ''Journaal der reis van den gezant der O. I Compagnie, Joan Cunaeus naar Perzië in 1651-1652 door Cornelis Speelman''. Hist. Gen., Utrecht, Amsterdam, 1980. {{DEFAULTSORT:Iran-Netherlands Relations