On Tuesday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed concern about the future development and escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. In his own words, he currently sees no joint plan between the United States and Israel to “quickly and decisively end” the war against Iran. He also criticized the Israeli government’s plan to build a new Jewish settlement in the West Bank. TASR informs about it based on reports from Reuters and AFP.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warns against the escalation of the war against Iran.
- Merz says the United States and Israel do not have a clear exit plan.
- Donald Trump announces an early end to the war, but considers a possible escalation of attacks.
- Merz rejects the weakening of Iranian statehood and warns against a Libyan scenario.
- Merz calls the planned E1 settlement an annexation threat to the two-state solution.
“The United States and Israel have been waging war against Iran for more than a week. We have many goals in common, but with each passing day of the war, more questions arise,” Merz said. “We are particularly concerned that there seems to be no common plan to end this war quickly and convincingly,” the German chancellor declared at a press conference after talks with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš.
Trump’s stance on war
According to US President Donald Trump, the war will end soon, but he did not rule out increased US attacks if Iran blocks traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Merz declared that it is not in Berlin’s interest to undermine Iran’s territorial integrity, statehood or economic viability. According to him, the military campaign must not lead to “the scenario we saw in Libya, Iraq or other states in the region.” He recalled that the situation in the Middle East has an impact on security in Europe, energy supplies and migration.
Criticism of Israeli plans
“The world needs a stable, viable Iran as part of a regional peace and security order in which neither Israel nor other partners are threatened, and in which Tehran abandons its nuclear ambitions and renounces terrorism,” Merz declared.
At the press conference, the German chancellor also commented on the Israeli government’s plan to build a new Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank in the E1 area. He criticized the plan, saying that, if implemented, it would further complicate the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Impacts on the Palestinian Territory
The disputed location of E1 has long caused concern – after the construction of a Jewish settlement, it would effectively divide the West Bank into northern and southern parts and prevent the development of a Palestinian agglomeration connecting East Jerusalem with Bethlehem and Ramallah, where the Palestinian government temporarily resides. Merz pointed out that these are “annexation practices” on the part of Israel and called on the European partners to have a united position on this matter.
