As the two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran nears its end this Wednesday, concern is growing within the German governing coalition that the truce may simply expire without any tangible progress towards resolving the conflict, which is connected in part to the potential involvement of the German armed forces.
Sientje Möller, the deputy leader of the SPD parliamentary group, told the newspaper “Der Tagesspiegel” that “it is a dismal sign that the US-Iran talks ended without concrete results and did not lead to a reliable end to the war”. She added that only then would “a sigh of relief be possible for the people and also for the world economy”.
Jürgen Hardt, the foreign policy spokesman for the CDU parliamentary group led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, stated to “Der Tagesspiegel” that the Iranian regime “continues to try and use the Strait of Hormuz as a bargaining chip”. The Christian Democrat deemed this approach “as unacceptable for Germany and Europe as it is for our Arab and Asian partners”. Hardt further asserted that the global supply of fertilizer and energy “should not depend on the whim of the Tehran regime”.
SPD politician Möller criticized the level of diplomatic efforts, which she finds insufficient, noting that discussions might continue on Monday in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, according to unconfirmed reports. She emphasized, “it is completely clear that this conflict can only be solved through negotiations and not through threats made on social media”.
There is an agreement within the government that the conditions for a potential European military mission aimed at protecting shipping lanes-and therefore the participation of the German military-are not yet established. Möller, the SPD politician, stated, “Naturally, it is in our interest to contribute to stability in the Gulf region and ensure freedom of sea lanes with our partners if the ceasefire holds reliably. For us, it is clear that a permanent, stable ceasefire and an international mandate are required before any discussion of participation can even be held in the German Bundestag”. The CDU spokesman, Hardt, also announced that Germany and Europe are prepared to contribute to a stable solution; however, he added that “the situation on the ground is not yet ready for that”.