Friedrich Merz stated issues a few additional escalation with Iran have dominated his journey to the Gulf area.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned of the specter of a army escalation within the Center East earlier than talks between Iran and the United States in Oman on Friday.
Talking in Doha on Thursday, Merz stated that fears of a brand new battle had characterised his talks throughout his journey to the Gulf area.
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“In all my conversations yesterday and right now, nice concern has been expressed a few additional escalation within the battle with Iran,” he stated throughout a information convention.
Merz additionally urged Iran to finish what he referred to as aggression and enter into talks, saying Germany would do every part it may to de-escalate the scenario and work in direction of regional stability.
The warning got here within the run-up to a vital scheduled assembly between officers from Tehran and Washington in Muscat.
Mediators from Qatar, Turkiye and Egypt have offered Iran and the US with a framework of key ideas to be mentioned within the talks, together with a dedication by Iran to considerably restrict its uranium enrichment, two sources acquainted with the negotiations have told Al Jazeera.
Earlier than the talks, either side look like struggling to seek out frequent floor on a variety of points, together with what subjects shall be up for dialogue.
Iran says the talks should be confined to its long-running nuclear dispute with Western powers, rejecting a US demand to additionally focus on Tehran’s ballistic missiles, and warning that pushing points past the nuclear programme may jeopardise the talks.
Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett stated the US is keen for the talks to comply with what they see as an agreed-upon format.
“That agreed-upon format consists of points broader than what the US understands Iran is prepared to debate on this preliminary set of talks,” she defined.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Wednesday that talks must embrace the vary of Iran’s ballistic missiles, its assist for armed teams across the Center East and its remedy of its personal folks, along with its nuclear programme.
A White Home official has advised Al Jazeera that Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and a key determine in his Center East coverage negotiations, and Steve Witkoff, Trump’s particular envoy, have arrived within the Qatari capital, Doha, prematurely of the talks.
Halkett stated that Qatar is taking part in an instrumental position in attempting to facilitate these talks, together with different regional US companions, together with Egypt.
“We perceive, in accordance with a White Home official, that that is maybe a part of the rationale for the go to – to try to work with Qatar in an effort to try to get Iran to increase and construct upon the format of those talks.”
Strain on Iran
The talks come because the area braces for a possible US assault on Iran after US President Donald Trump ordered forces to amass within the Arabian Sea following a violent crackdown by Iran on protesters last month.
Washington has despatched hundreds of troops to the Center East, in addition to an plane provider, different warships, fighter jets, spy planes and air refuelling tankers.
Trump has warned that “unhealthy issues” would in all probability occur if a deal couldn’t be reached, ratcheting up strain on Iran.
This isn’t the primary time Iranian and US officers have met in a bid to revive diplomacy between the 2 nations, which haven’t had official diplomatic relations since 1980.
In June, US and Iranian officers gathered within the Omani capital to debate a nuclear settlement, however the course of stalled as Israel launched assaults on Iran, killing a number of army leaders and prime nuclear scientists, and focusing on nuclear services. The US later briefly joined the battle, bombing a number of Iranian nuclear websites.
