Germany says Iran must change course, warns of consequences

BERLIN

Germany's foreign minister issued a stark warning to Iran on Thursday, saying it must change course and work toward addressing Western concerns over its nuclear program.

Speaking to reporters before an EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels, Johann Wadephul said member states will discuss the latest developments in Iran and ways to increase pressure through tougher sanctions.

"The German government has strongly advocated for listing the Revolutionary Guards under the terrorism sanctions regime. I am very confident we will reach a common agreement on this matter today," he said, adding that the regime's response to anti-government protesters was unacceptable.

Asked about US President Donald Trump's threats of a military attack on Iran, Wadephul said he did not want to speculate on the matter but urged Tehran to seize the diplomatic opportunity and take steps toward an agreement.

"The American president has suggested to the Iranian government that an agreement can be reached on key points. These are essentially also points that the Europeans have put forward in the E3 format,” the minister said.

Wadephul emphasized that finding agreement on both Iran's missile program and potential nuclear weapons capabilities would be of great importance to Germany.

"I would like to express hope at this point in time that a positive agreement can be reached here," he said. "Because nobody needs another conflict. But the Iranian regime must understand that it cannot continue its behavior as we have seen in the past."

Iran was rocked by waves of protests in recent weeks, sparked by the sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial and deteriorating economic conditions. Iranian officials have accused the US and Israel of supporting "armed rioters" to create a pretext for foreign intervention, warning that any US military action would provoke a "swift and comprehensive" response.

Western powers say Iran’s is building nuclear weapons, while Tehran has insisted it's civilian program is to meet energy needs.

A deal to limit Iran’s nuclear enrichment was reached in 2015, but Trump withdrew the US from the agreement in his first term as president in 2018.

In June 2025, the US bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities during Tehran’s 12-day war with Israel.