Foreign Minister Wadephul says Iran ‘wasn't fully understood' their message last week, which led to US airstrikes, emphasizing negotiated solution is ‘more urgent than ever'
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul urged Iran on Monday to engage in direct talks with the US about its nuclear program to prevent the conflict from escalating further.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels ahead of an EU foreign ministers meeting, Wadephul said Iran had not heeded their message during last week's Geneva talks, which subsequently led to US airstrikes on Iran's nuclear sites over the weekend.
“We made it very clear to the Iranian side back then that a real prerequisite for resolving the conflict was Iran is willing to negotiate directly with the US. This message wasn't fully understood at the time, and we will reiterate it now,” the minister said.
“They must know that the world will not accept that a nuclear-armed Iran. We in Europe, just like Israel and the entire region, have an interest in limiting the threat posed by ballistic missiles, this must be addressed in the talks,” Wadephul continued.
“We need a negotiated solution, it is more urgent than ever, and Iran is now required to be willing to engage in direct talks with the United States. We, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom in the E3 format—will offer whatever support we can," he added.
