Trump and Merz Issue Ultimatum to Iran

The Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, has announced that he had a phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump while the latter was returning from China. Following weeks of discussions regarding the potential for war around Iran, threats of the withdrawal of American troops, and trade disputes, Merz described the conversation as "good."

“We are united; Iran must now sit at the negotiating table. The Strait of Hormuz must be opened. Tehran must not have nuclear weapons,” Merz wrote on X.

In addition to discussions about Iran, Merz and Trump also talked about possible resolutions to the war in Ukraine and coordination ahead of the NATO countries' meeting in Turkey.