German minister to discuss Iran's role in Syria during visit: Spiegel

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel plans to raise concerns about Iran's role in the war in Syria and its human rights record during his upcoming visit to Tehran, weekly news magazine Der Spiegel reported on Friday. The magazine quoted Gabriel, Germany's vice chancellor, as saying Iran could have normal, friendly relations with Germany only when it accepted Israel's right to exist. Gabriel, who will travel to Iran for two days from Sunday, said he planned to use his meeting with Iranian officials to address not only economic ties, but also growing horror about the situation in Syria, as he did during a recent visit to Russia. "I will do what I did during my last trip to Russia: explain the outrage that people in Germany feel toward those conflict parties allied with (Syrian President Bashar al-Assad) given the horrible situation in Syria," he said. "We cannot just go with business as usual in our relationship with countries who are involved in this murderous war," Gabriel told the magazine. Gabriel is leading a large delegation of business executives to Iran to discuss potential business deals after a historic nuclear accord paved the way for ending sanctions that had been in place for years. He said he expected some agreements to be signed during the visit but gave no details. German industry is keen to rebuild longstanding business ties with Iran, but trade has been slow to resume due to uncertainty and financial sanctions that remain in place even after completion of the nuclear accord. Gabriel said it was important to talk with Iran about human rights, arms control and other issues that divide Berlin and Tehran. "And part of that is the situation in Syria, where Iran is playing a decisive role," he said. Gabriel said he was skeptical about imposing fresh sanctions against Iran, but said Tehran needs to realize it would be difficult under current circumstances to find lasting partners for business deals in Germany or other European countries. No business would invest in Iran in the longer-term while it was still uncertain if sanctions could be reinstated, he said. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Matthew Lewis)