Scholz warns Iran against further escalating conflict with Israel

5 months ago 19

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged his support to Israel after the country got hit by several missiles from Iran and warned Teheran against any further attacks.

Scholz, who is currently in China, strongly condemned the attack on Saturday night and warned Iran against “any further escalation”.

“We must not continue down this path,” Scholz, who is in Chongqing, China, said on Sunday, adding, “We will do everything we can to ensure that there is no further escalation.”

Scholz called the attack “unjustifiable” and also stated that “we can only warn everyone, especially Iran, to continue like this.”

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also took a strong stance against the attacks.

“The Iranian regime has led the entire Middle East to the edge of the abyss with its eyes wide open,” she said.

The attack provoked strong reactions from international leaders, particularly the US, the UK and France. According to Baerbock, Iran would be largely isolated for its “aggressive behaviour”.

Meanwhile, Germany was also preparing for possible spillover effects of the attacks on Germany.

“We are monitoring very closely whether this escalation is impacting the security situation in Germany,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said on Sunday.

While there are currently no concrete indications of a threat to Israeli or Jewish institutions in Germany, the security authorities are investigating potential threats with the highest priority, security sources said, according to the German Press Agency (dpa).

The government fears that anti-Semitism could develop a “new dynamic as a result of Iran’s attack on Israel” and lead to an “emotionalisation of the situation, especially among anti-Israeli forces,” the source added.

(Oliver Noyan | Euractiv.de)