German Foreign Minister warns of escalation in the Iran war

Berlin (dpa) - Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has warned of escalation of the conflict in light of speculation regarding US intervention on the part of Israel in its war with Iran. 

“The military strikes currently being conducted harbour the risk of focusing solely on a military solution”, he said during talks with his Jordanian counterpart Aiman al-Safadi in Berlin. “This involves a major risk that other countries will be drawn into this conflict,” he added. 

On the specific question from a journalist as to whether he approved of the USA’s interventions on the part of Israel, Wadephul gave the insight that he is opposed to such a move. His US colleague Marco Rubio had already determined at the start of the war that the USA would not become involved militarily. 

Wadephul also announced that he, together with his French and British counterparts and EU Foreign Affairs Representative Kaja Kallas, had made a negotiation offer to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghtschi during a telephone call on Monday. 

There is still preparedness to negotiate a solution. But this would require Teheran to react with some urgency and “adopt confidence building and verifiable measures, for example by demonstrating that the leadership in Teheran does not seek to obtain nuclear weapons”. He added that, “It is never too late to come to the negotiating table if you come with honest intentions.”