Germany Says Iran Must Never Obtain Nuclear Weapons

(MENAFN) German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared on Sunday that Iran must be prevented from ever acquiring nuclear weapons, according to a statement from his office following a phone conversation with Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq bin Taimur Al Said.

During their discussion, Merz and Sultan Haitham concurred that halting the escalation of tensions between Israel and Iran is the urgent priority.

Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to backing diplomatic initiatives designed to end the ongoing hostilities.

Merz also expressed appreciation for Oman’s role in mediating issues related to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

The sixth round of US-Iran nuclear negotiations, originally planned for Sunday in Muscat, was abruptly canceled after Israel launched an attack on Iranian targets.

The German chancellor announced that this matter will be "right at the top" of the agenda at the upcoming G7 summit in Canada, scheduled for June 15-17.

He asserted that all diplomatic avenues have so far failed to halt Iran’s advancement of a military nuclear program and emphasized Israel’s inherent right to self-defense.

Merz also mentioned that Israel has asked Germany for firefighting equipment, and “we will immediately start working on this.”

Highlighting the critical need to contain the conflict, he called on Tehran to cease what he termed attacks on Israeli civilians and cautioned strongly against the war expanding across the region.

Since early Friday, Israel has conducted a series of airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear and missile facilities, killing senior military commanders and prominent scientists. The assaults also hit vital oil and gas infrastructure.

In retaliation, Iran launched missile strikes against multiple locations throughout Israel.

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