Germany, France and UK ready to hold talks with Iran, says German minister

Germany, France, and Britain are prepared to engage in immediate discussions with Iran regarding Tehran’s nuclear program to help mitigate the tensions in the Middle East, stated German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul.

Wadephul, visiting the Middle East, mentioned he was aiming to help reduce tensions in the conflict between Israel and Iran, highlighting that Tehran had not seized past chances for meaningful discussions.

“I hope that’s still possible,” Wadephul told German public broadcaster ARD late on Saturday. “Germany, together with France and Britain are ready. We’re offering Iran immediate negotiations about the nuclear programme, I hope (the offer) is accepted.”

“This is also a key prerequisite for reaching a pacification of this conflict, that Iran presents no danger to the region, for the state of Israel or to Europe.”

Wadephul, who is in Oman on Sunday, said the conflict would be ended only when influence is exerted on Iran and Israel from all sides.

“There’s a shared expectation that within the next week, a serious attempt must be made on both sides to interrupt the spiral of violence,” he said.

When questioned on whether he thought the Iranian government might collapse, Wadephul stated he assumed that Israel did not aim to topple the regime in Tehran.  Focusing on Gaza, Wadephul stated that the humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian enclave were intolerable and called on Israel to permit unfettered access for aid organizations.

“The hunger, the dying, the suffering of the people in Gaza must come to an end,” he said, adding that Hamas was to blame for the conflict and that the Islamist group must release hostages held since Hamas-led militants raided Israel in October 2023.