At his visit to Rabat, Morocco, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) focused on the need for patience and concrete cooperation in the face of multiple geopolitical crises, including the Middle East conflict and rising energy prices. Speaking to RTL’s “Nachtjournal Spezial”, Wadephul stressed that “we need a degree of patience right now. We need consistency, we need patience-and we must stand together”.
Regarding the situation in Iran, he assessment stated that the country is in an “economically catastrophic situation” and has been “significantly defeated” militarily. Based on this outlook, Wadephul predicted that Tehran would “come to the negotiating table at some point”. He emphasized that Europe, the United States, and the Gulf states must present a unified front. Wadephul argued that Iran must be contained and cannot continue to destabilize the world through so-called proxies like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. Furthermore, he called for the freedom of the Strait of Hormuz and stressed that demonstrating solidarity and unity with international partners would ensure success.
Looking ahead to the conflict in Ukraine, Wadephul remained confident. He suggested that Russia was failing to achieve any breakthroughs and was losing “a massive number of soldiers”. Consequently, he believes a new round of talks is necessary. He pointed out that the ongoing Iran crisis has currently tied up important US negotiators, suggesting that Europeans might increasingly need to take a stronger role in the process. Despite the complex situation, Wadephul maintained his conviction that an agreement with Russia is still possible.