APTGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Iran’s territorial integrity must be preserved amid the escalating conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. Speaking in Munich, Merz warned against a collapse of the Iranian state, saying such a scenario would destabilize the region and could trigger new refugee flows.
Merz said Germany shares U.S. and Israeli concerns about Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes and Tehran’s support for regional proxy groups, but stressed that the Iranian people should be able to decide their own future. He added that Berlin is working with European and regional partners to develop a path toward ending the fighting and building a regional security framework.
The German leader said the guiding principle should be a regional peace order that guarantees the security and existence of all states, including Israel and Gulf countries, while encouraging dialogue and confidence-building once hostilities end.
