Merz urges Iran to abandon nuclear weapons
Friedrich Merz (Photo: Getty Images)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned Iran's attack on the UAE and stated that Tehran should return to dialogue and abandon its nuclear ambitions, according to his post on X.
In one of his posts, Merz noted that on May 4, the United Arab Emirates once again became a target of Iranian drones and missiles, and Germany condemned this.
"We strongly condemn these attacks. Our solidarity is with the people of the United Arab Emirates and our partners in the region," the German chancellor wrote.
In another post, he emphasized that Iran must return to the negotiating table and stop holding the region and the entire world hostage.
"The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz must end. Tehran must not acquire a nuclear weapon. There must be no further threats or attacks against our partners," Merz concluded.
Middle East war and negotiations
At the end of April 2026, Iran delivered a new proposal to the US to end the war and unblock the Strait of Hormuz. However, Tehran proposed postponing talks on its nuclear program until a later date.
On May 3, US President Donald Trump said he had reviewed the proposal and called it unacceptable — but did not specify exactly what he objected to.
Around the same time, media reports began to emerge that Iran had allegedly agreed to discuss the nuclear issue and had dropped several demands on other matters.
Shortly afterward, Trump announced a humanitarian operation called Freedom to help evacuate ships from the Strait of Hormuz belonging to countries and companies that have absolutely no involvement in the Middle East war. The operation was set to begin on Monday, May 4.
Meanwhile, on May 4, it was reported that Iran had launched four missiles and drones toward the UAE. Three missiles were successfully shot down, and one fell into the sea.
A week or two before these events, there were media reports that the UAE had asked the United States for money in case the Middle East war continued.
