German Chancellor Merz: Military power can bring diplomatic solutions

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made statements to journalists in Evian, France, where he is attending the G7 Leaders' Summit.

Touching upon the agreement reached between Iran and the US, Merz stated that he promised US President Donald Trump that they would do everything in their power to ensure the success of peace efforts, adding, "This includes providing support through military means to ensure the permanent free flow of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz when the necessary conditions are met."

Pointing out that statements coming from the Iranian side also indicate that an agreement has been reached, Merz said, "Everything we hear from Iran shows that Iran also accepts this, as it has no other option in the face of US military superiority. I told President Trump last night, as you can see from this example, clear military power can also bring diplomatic solutions. If the same applies to Ukraine, we may be one step closer to peace in these two critical regions of the world."

Stating that they have already sent the first minesweepers and other vessels to the Strait of Hormuz, Merz said, "We are ready, but we have not yet made a decision, neither in the federal government nor in parliament. Of course, we must also clarify the legal basis. This is a matter we have not yet definitively resolved. However, for weeks, the common position of the federal government has been the fact that we are fundamentally ready to participate in maintaining this peace."