BRADUFOSS, Norway: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday that the Middle East war must end “as soon as possible” as the conflict “benefits no-one and harms many economically, including us.”
Asked whether Europeans should make direct contact with Iran to ask for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened, Merz said: “We are making every effort to end this war ... all diplomatic channels are being used.”
Speaking at a press conference in Norway alongside his Norwegian and Canadian counterparts Jonas Gahr Store and Mark Carney, Merz stressed that Germany shared the “important goals” of the US and Israel.
“Iran must not threaten Israel and other neighbors,” Merz said, adding that Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs must end and that the Islamic republic “must stop supporting terrorism at home and beyond.”
However Merz added that “with each day of war, more questions arise than answers” and that “a convincing plan is needed” on conducting the war.
“We are witnessing a dangerous escalation. Iran is indiscriminately attacking states in the region, including close partners and allies of our own country, Germany,” the chancellor said.
