Chancellor Merz welcomes Trump's Israel-Iran ceasefire announcement

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday welcomed US President Donald Trump's ceasefire announcement between Israel and Iran.

"I welcome the call by the American President for a sequenced ceasefire," Merz wrote on X.

He called on Iran and Israel to "heed" the call while "thanking" Qatar and other countries in the region for their "prudence" during the "dramatic" past days.

"If this ceasefire succeeds following the decisive military strikes by the U.S. against Iran's nuclear facilities, it would be a very positive development. It will make the Middle East and the world safer," Merz noted.

A ceasefire between Israel and Iran came into effect at 0400GMT Tuesday following hours of intensified mutual hostilities.

The ceasefire was initially announced by Trump, who said it would involve a phased halt to operations, with Iran beginning the ceasefire first and Israel following 12 hours later. A full end to hostilities would then be declared at the 24th hour.

Iran launched a barrage of missiles at the US military's Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Monday, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions following the US targeting of three Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday.

The US attacks were the latest escalation in a US-backed Israeli military assault on Iran since June 13, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory attacks on Israel.