Anadolu staff
30 January 2026•Update: 30 January 2026
BERLIN
Germany on Friday reiterated its call for a peaceful settlement of the Iran crisis amid an ongoing US military buildup in the Persian Gulf region.
“The German government is also in constant contact with the US. The federal chancellor last spoke with the American President on the subject of Iran on the phone about two weeks ago. Our position is clear: we are committed to a peaceful resolution of the conflict,” government spokesman Stefan Kornelius told a news conference in Berlin.
He added that Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates next week, where regional issues, including Iran, will be high on the agenda.
All three Gulf countries have strongly opposed a potential US military attack on Iran, citing concerns over wider regional instability.
Merz said Wednesday that the Iranian government’s “days are numbered,” as US President Donald Trump renewed threats of intervention following a crackdown on protests in the country.
Speaking at a news conference in Berlin, Merz cited international media reports claiming that as many as 30,000 people may have been killed during the latest wave of anti-government protests.
“A regime that can only maintain its power through brutal force and terror against its own people has its days numbered,” Merz told reporters. “It may be a matter of weeks, but this regime has no legitimacy whatsoever to rule the country,” he said.
