German Foreign Minister: We’ll not allow Iran to possess nuclear weapons

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul warned Iran against taking further steps toward acquiring a nuclear weapon, amid escalating tensions over its nuclear program.

During his meeting with his Italian counterpart, Antonio Tajani, in Rome on Thursday, Wadephul said that his country, in cooperation with its partners Britain and France, is sending a clear signal to Iran, “We expect Iran to reliably abandon any plans for nuclear weapons”.

Wadephul added that the course of this issue is in Iran’s hands, noting that European countries have a snapback mechanism and are ready to activate it if necessary.

This mechanism allows for the re-imposition of previous stringent UN sanctions on Iran without significant resistance.

“Everyone wants to avoid this, everyone wants to avoid any escalation, but we won’t stand idly by and allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon, and this must be clearly stated in such a situation,” Wadephul said.

Asked whether he shared concerns about a possible Israeli attack on Iran, Wadephul said, “I’ve no doubt that the United States has the means to engage with the Israeli government on this issue”.

He indicated that he didn’t wish to offer advice in this context, but he believed that the issue would certainly be part of my discussions in Jerusalem on Sunday.

The German Foreign Minister is scheduled to depart from the Italian capital this evening for the Middle East on a multi-day tour that will include Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel.

These countries would be among the most affected parties in the event of a military escalation between Iran and Israel.

For his part, Italian Foreign Minister Tajani stressed that his country doesn’t support an Israeli military strike against Iran, saying, “But I don’t think it’s imminent,” calling on Iran to be more flexible to allow for an agreement on its nuclear program.