Germany to Iran: Prove you’re not building nuclear weapons

Shafaq News/ German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul urged Iran on Wednesday to provide clear, verifiable assurances that it is not pursuing nuclear weapons.

At a joint press conference in Berlin with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi, Wadephul reaffirmed Germany’s openness to diplomacy but pressed Tehran to act swiftly. “It is never too late to come to the negotiating table, if one comes with sincere intentions.”

His remarks followed a sharp escalation in regional tensions after Israel’s June 13 launch of Operation Rising Lion, which targeted Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure. Tehran claimed the strikes also hit peaceful nuclear facilities.

Germany, along with the US and UK, has endorsed Israel’s right to self-defense in response to Iran’s retaliatory barrage, known as True Promise 3. On Tuesday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz defended the Israeli campaign, describing it as “the dirty work Israel is doing for all of us.”