BERLIN 

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday reiterated his call for Iran to return to negotiations to prevent a further escalation of the conflict.

Speaking at a joint news conference with his Austrian counterpart Christian Stocker in Berlin, Merz said European leaders held extensive discussions on Middle East tensions during their Brussels summit on Thursday.

“Tehran's pursuit of nuclear armament has caused enough harm. Iran must not further escalate the conflict over its nuclear program,” Merz said. “The country must come to the negotiating table. We will do our part to stabilize the situation in the region.”

For his part, Austrian Chancellor Stocker called the ceasefire between Iran and Israel an “important first step,” adding that it should be followed by further talks for a diplomatic solution. He also called on Iran to maintain its cooperation with the UN's nuclear watchdog.

“Cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should be continued, not terminated. The monitoring mechanism must not be disabled, as that would represent another step toward uncertainty,” he warned.

Stocker said that during their meeting the day before, EU leaders discussed the situation in Gaza and stressed that the Israeli government must allow more humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of Palestinian civilians.

“The humanitarian situation in Gaza is unacceptable and intolerable,” the Austrian chancellor said. “As a friend and supporter of Israel, I therefore urgently appeal for more humanitarian aid to be allowed, without restrictions and in accordance with the principles of humanity,” he added.

Stocker said Austria supports a diplomatic solution to the conflict—one in which Hamas would no longer have a role in Gaza or pose a threat to Israel.