German Chancellor Scholz holds phone call with Iranian President Pezeshkian, calls for restraint

BERLIN

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called on Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to exercise restraint and refrain from any actions that could lead to a wider conflict in the region, a government spokesperson said on Monday.

Scholz and Pezeshkian held a phone call on Monday to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East, deputy spokesperson Wolfgang Buchner said in a statement.

“The Chancellor expressed his great concern about the danger of a regional conflagration in the Middle East. He appealed to President Pezeshkian to do everything possible to prevent further military escalation,” Buchner said.

“The spiral of violence in the Middle East must now be broken; anything else would pose incalculable risks to the countries and people in the region,” he added.

The phone call came amid heightened tensions in the region, as Iran accused Israel of assassinating Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran's capital Tehran, and vowed to respond at the “right time” in the "appropriate" manner. Israeli media reported on Monday that Iran’s retaliation could be within days.

During his phone call with the Iranian president, Scholz also underlined the importance of ongoing diplomatic efforts for a cease-fire agreement in Gaza, and said that achieving this would be a decisive step for regional de-escalation.

“The Chancellor once again stressed that the time has come to finalize the agreement for a cease-fire and for the release of the hostages in the Gaza Strip and to implement it immediately in order to end the fighting. This would be an important contribution to regional de-escalation,” Buchner said.