Concern about Iran is 'very, very high,' Merz says during Abu Dhabi visit

BERLIN

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday that concern about Iran is "very, very high" among regional leaders, calling on Tehran to return to negotiations with the US and halt its nuclear program.

Speaking to reporters in Abu Dhabi after meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Merz said all his conversation partners in the Gulf region expressed deep concern about Iran due to their close geographical proximity.

“Intensive diplomatic contacts are underway to persuade Iran to cease violence against its own people, end its nuclear program, and return to the negotiating table, where peace and stability throughout the region will be negotiated,” he said.

Merz emphasized that Gulf leaders are collaborating closely with the Trump administration to facilitate diplomatic negotiations and pursue a peaceful resolution to escalating tensions in the Middle East.

"My conversation partners in Riyadh, Doha, and here in Abu Dhabi today are all working very hard, together with the US, to bring the regime in Tehran to its senses and, above all, to return to the negotiating table. The concern is very, very high," he said.

Merz visited the UAE on Friday, the third and final day of his Gulf region tour, following earlier visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The remarks came as Oman mediated on Friday indirect talks between Iran and the US to resume dialogue on the latter's nuclear program.