Germany's Merz says Netanyahu informed him of attack on Iran
BERLIN: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz about Israel's attack on Iran in a phone call on Friday morning, Merz said in a statement.
Israel has a right to defend itself and Iran should not develop nuclear weapons, the statement said, but Merz called on both sides to refrain from escalation.
Israel launched strikes against Iran on Friday, saying it targeted nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders during the start of an operation to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon.
Merz said Germany was coordinating closely with partners, particularly the United States, Britain and France.
'We call on both sides to refrain from steps that could lead to further escalation and destabilize the entire region,' Merz said.
Israel hits Iran nuclear and missile facilities, appears to block retaliation
Merz convened a security cabinet meeting, which agreed to take all necessary precautions to protect German citizens in Israel, Iran and the region, and to increase the protection of Jewish and Israeli facilities, the statement said.
Merz said Germany has expressed concern about Iran's advanced nuclear weapons programme for many years and that Iran continues to fail to fulfill its obligations to disclose its work on enriching nuclear-capable material.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
39 minutes ago
- Business Recorder
Iran says nuclear talks with US ‘meaningless' after Israel attack
CAIRO: Iran said on Friday the dialogue with the U.S. over Tehran's nuclear programme is 'meaningless' after Israel's biggest-ever military strike against its longstanding enemy, accusing Washington of supporting the attack. 'The other side (the U.S.) acted in a way that makes dialogue meaningless. You cannot claim to negotiate and at the same time divide work by allowing the Zionist regime (Israel) to target Iran's territory,' the semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as saying. He said Israel 'succeeded in influencing' the diplomatic process and the Israeli attack would not have happened without Washington's permission. Iran earlier accused the U.S. of being complicit in Israel's attacks, but Washington denied the allegation and told Tehran at the United Nations Security Council that it would be 'wise' to negotiate over its nuclear programme. Iran fires missiles at Israel in response to attacks The sixth round of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks was set to be held on Sunday in Muscat, but it was unclear whether it would go ahead after the Israeli strikes. Iran denies that its uranium enrichment programme is for anything other than civilian purposes, rejecting Israeli allegations that it is secretly developing nuclear weapons. U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters that he and his team had known the Israeli attacks were coming but they still saw room for an accord.
Business Recorder
2 hours ago
- Business Recorder
PM Pakistan condemns unprovoked Israeli attack on Iran
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday strongly condemned what he described as an 'unprovoked' Israeli attack on Iran, warning that the incident could further destabilise an already volatile region. In a statement posted on X, Sharif said: 'I condemn, in the strongest possible terms, today's unprovoked attack on Iran by Israel. This grave and highly irresponsible act is deeply alarming and risks further de-stabilising an already volatile region.' He expressed sympathy for the Iranian people over reported casualties and called on the international community, including the United Nations, to act swiftly to prevent any further escalation that could threaten regional or global peace. In a separate move, the prime minister instructed authorities to ensure the safety and secure return of Pakistani pilgrims currently in Iran. A Crisis Management Cell has been established at Pakistan's Foreign Office, and the country's embassy in Iran has been placed on high alert. 'Steps must be taken to ensure the safety of the pilgrims,' Sharif said. 'All possible resources should be utilised to ensure their safe return.' Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
UNGA demands immediate Gaza ceasefire
The vote by the 193-member General Assembly was a global survey of support for the Palestinian bid to become a full UN member. PHOTO: REUTERS The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution, by overwhelmingly majority, demanding an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Israel's war in Gaza and aid access, after the United States vetoed a similar effort in the Security Council last week. Piloted by Spain, the resolution, co-sponsored by Pakistan and 47 other states, garnered 149 votes in favour to 12 against, with 19 abstentions. Among those opposing the resolution were the United States and Israel, who were joined, among others, by Argentina, Hungary and Paraguay. India, Georgia, Ecuador, Romania and Ethiopia were among the countries abstaining. Under its terms, the resolution strongly condemns the use of starvation as a weapon of war, demands a full lifting of the Israeli blockade on humanitarian aid, and insists on the protection of civilians under international law. Although General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, they carry significant political and moral weight. Meanwhile, famine conditions continue to threaten lives across Gaza, and reports persist of civilians being killed or injured while trying to access food at distribution points operated independently of the UN but supported by Israel and the US. "We meet here on the 614th day of a full-fledged assault against the Palestinian people," underscored the Palestinian Ambassado to the UN Riyad Mansour. "This illegal, immoral situation cannot continue; it has to stop and stop immediately," he said, pointing to Israel's siege against Palestine — "where over 2 million people have been subjected to relentless bombardments, wanton destruction and engineered starvation".
