Merkel urges 'political solution' to US-Iran tensions

TEHRAN (defapress) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday that the world should work together for peaceful resolution of the dispute between the United States and Iran and warned against isolationism.

News ID: 77845

Date: 23 June 2019 - 12:49

"I say that [a political solution] should not just be a hope, but it should be worked towards with utmost seriousness," Merkel added.

The conflict would be addressed at the G20 summit in Japan next week, said Merkel, adding that Germany can help to make a political and diplomatic solution.

The German Chancellor also warned against those who isolate themselves from the international community, without naming anyone; although she has always been critical of Trump's decisions to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris Climate Agreement. She said that no country could tackle the global challenges of the 21st century alone.

"In some places, distrust seems to have been declared government policy...Without trust as a foundation, international politics cannot succeed."

Tensions have been running high between Iran and the US in recent weeks, with Washington stepping up its provocative military moves in the Middle East.

Most recntly, a US Global Hawk spy drone violated the Iranian airspace near the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, which was then shot down by IRGC's missile defense system.

The US claimed the drone was flying over the international skies, while Iran later revealed sections of the US drone wreckage retrieved from Iranian waters and also showed a map with detailed coordinates that show the drone was shot down within the Islamic Republic’s territorial waters.

Earlier on Monday, the Pentagon announced that the US will send 1,000 additional US forces and more military resources to the Middle East.

Last week, UN sources revealed that the United States was planning to carry out a “tactical assault” on an Iranian nuclear facility in response to the alleged Iranian role in the June 13 attacks against oil tankers in the Sea of Oman.

Tehran believes the US has a hand in a set of suspicious regional incidents in recent weeks, such as the tanker attacks, in a bid to pin the blame on Iran and put more pressure on the country.

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