Germany, France and the United Kingdom are ready to immediately start talks with Iran on its nuclear program, with the aim of calming tensions in the Middle East, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful said.
During a visit to the Middle East, Wadeful said he wanted to contribute to the de-escalation of the conflict between Iran and Israel, noting that Tehran had previously missed the opportunity for constructive negotiations.
“I hope it is not lost yet,” Wadeful told ARD on Saturday evening.
“Germany, together with France and Britain, is ready. We are offering Iran immediate negotiations on its nuclear program. I hope that this offer will be accepted,” he added.
“That is also a key prerequisite for calming this conflict – that Iran does not pose a threat to the region, the state of Israel or Europe,” he stressed.
Wadeful, who will be in Oman on Sunday, warned that the conflict can only be stopped if all actors put pressure on both Iran and Israel.
“There is a shared expectation that a serious attempt must be made by both sides in the next seven days to break the spiral of violence,” he said.
Asked whether he believed that the Iranian government could fall, Vadeful replied that he did not believe that Israel intended to overthrow the regime in Tehran.
Speaking about Gaza, the German minister assessed that the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave was unacceptable and called on Israel to allow unrestricted access for humanitarian organizations.
“The hunger, the dying and the suffering of the people in Gaza must stop,” he said, adding that Hamas bears responsibility for the conflict and that the Islamist group must release the hostages it has been holding since its attack on Israel in October 2023.
