Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday summoned Germany's ambassador in protest over remarks made by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz about the Israel-Iran conflict.
"Following the German Chancellor's ridiculous and shameful remarks in support of the Israeli regime's aggression, the German ambassador was summoned to the Iranian Foreign Ministry," Iran's official news agency IRNA reported.
This follows Merz’s remarks in an interview with ZDF on Tuesday, in which he stated that Israel is undertaking the "dirty work" on behalf of the international community in striking Iran.
“I'm grateful to you for using the term 'dirty work.' That's exactly what Israel is doing for all of us. We are all affected by this regime. This mullah regime has brought death and destruction to the world,” the Chancellor said.
“Yes, Israel did dirty work there. I can only express my utmost respect for the Israeli army and leadership for having the courage to do that. Without their action, we might have seen this regime's terror continue for months and years, then possibly with a nuclear weapon in hand,” he added.
Merz also emphasized in the interview that if Iran does not retract its nuclear program, the complete destruction of its nuclear capabilities is on the table. He also noted that Israel alone cannot achieve this goal.
Merz defended his comments on Wednesday, saying his remarks received widespread support.
“These remarks have found overwhelming approval, and I'm pleased about that. It is shared by many others, and I don't need to comment on the few critical voices that have emerged,” he told reporters, as quoted by the Anadolu news agency.