Germany urges diplomacy as Merz backs Israel after US strikes on Iran
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called for an urgent return to diplomacy after the United States carried out air strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, his spokesman said on Sunday.
'Iran must immediately enter into negotiations with the US and Israel and to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict,' Merz was quoted as saying by spokesperson Stefan Kornelius.
The German government believes the overnight raids caused significant damage to Iran's nuclear infrastructure, Kornelius added.
The strikes followed Israel's wide-ranging assault on Iranian missile and nuclear facilities on 13 June, which also targeted senior military and security figures.
Iran has long denied Western and Israeli claims that its uranium enrichment programme is aimed at producing nuclear weapons.
Speaking to ARD, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Berlin remains committed to restoring talks. 'No one thinks it's a good thing to keep fighting,' he said. 'Everyone knows there has to be a negotiated solution.'
Defence Minister Boris Pistorius described Washington's actions as a response to a 'concrete threat', and welcomed the outcome. 'A major threat has been eliminated … this is good news for the Middle East, but also for Europe,' he said.
Merz, who last week voiced strong backing for Israel, called its strikes 'the dirty work Israel is doing for all of us'.
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