Germany's Merz: Iran cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons

Iran's nuclear weapons programme is an existential threat to the state of Israel, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said ahead of leaving Berlin for the Group of Seven summit in Canada on Sunday.

"Iran cannot be allowed to develop nuclear weapons or to have them," Merz said. Iran's progress on the path to a nuclear weapon had led Israel to attack military targets in the country on Friday, the chancellor said.

"This issue will be right at the top of the G7 summit agenda," he said.

Merz said Israel had requested firefighting equipment from Germany. "We will immediately start working on this," he said.

Every diplomatic effort had failed to get Iran to desist from its military nuclear programme, the German chancellor said. "Israel has the right to defend its existence and the safety of its citizens," he said.

Merz re-emphasised that the conflict should not be allowed to spread. "Tehran must immediately cease the bombardment of civilian targets in Israel. Other states in the region should not be allowed to become theatres of war," he said.

Space had to be opened up again for diplomacy, Merz said.

He added that he was concerned that Jews in Germany could become Iranian targets. "We are steeling ourselves in Germany as well for the possibility that Iran could have Israeli or Jewish targets in its cross-wires," he said.