Friedrich Merz urges Iran to 'stop destabilizing the region'

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Iran to stop destabilizing the region after holding a phone call Tuesday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, his spokesman said.

Merz and Mohammed bin Salman discussed the latest attacks by Iranian-backed Houthis, the situation in the Middle East, and ways to end the regional conflict, government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said after the phone call.

"The chancellor condemned in the strongest possible terms the latest terrorist attacks carried out by the Iran-backed Houthis," Kornelius said. "The chancellor and the crown prince agree that these attacks must cease immediately."

He said the chancellor stressed that the maritime blockades imposed by Iran and the Houthis in the Strait of Hormuz and at Bab al-Mandab must also end without delay.

"Iran must finally engage in serious negotiations and stop destabilizing the region. At the same time, it must open the Strait of Hormuz permanently and without restriction and halt its military nuclear program," he added.

Merz and Mohammed bin Salman also discussed the conflict's impact on energy prices in Germany and ways to stabilize them, according to the spokesman.