Berlin: Following the US strikes on Sunday morning, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called for Iran to engage in negotiations with the United States and Israel. The German military, meanwhile, has conducted its first direct evacuation flights from Israel as tensions continue to mount. According to Deutsche Welle, following US attacks on nuclear facilities in Iran overnight, the German government convened its security council. Chancellor Merz urged Iran to seek a peaceful resolution to the escalating conflict with Israel and the US. The response from German politicians was mixed, with Jrgen Hardt, deputy parliamentary leader of the Chancellor's governing center-right Christian Democrats (CDU), stating to Tagesspiegel newspaper that the American strike was foreseeable after Iran rejected European offers to negotiate. Meanwhile, the federal government has evacuated more Germans from Jordan. A charter flight was used to facilitate the evacuation, as Israeli airspace remains closed due to the ongoing confli ct with Iran that began over a week ago. According to the Foreign Ministry in Berlin, 123 Germans managed to leave on the flight, with a total of 345 people already having reached Germany via charter planes landing in Frankfurt am Main in recent days. For the first time since the conflict began, the German military obtained permission to evacuate German citizens directly from Israel using two aircraft. Government circles indicated that complex negotiations with Israeli authorities were necessary for this effort. The flights, carried out in close coordination with Israeli authorities, were primarily for families with children and other vulnerable individuals. The two planes successfully landed at Cologne/Bonn Airport with 64 people on board. Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) commended the professionalism of the Bundeswehr and Air Force crews involved in the evacuation. Evacuated individuals had registered on a list that allows the German embassy in Israel to track Germans in the country. Althoug h not all registered individuals plan to leave, the list serves as a safety measure and contact point. Currently, around 4,300 Germans are registered in Israel, while approximately 1,000 are registered in Iran. Prior to the US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, the German government withdrew personnel from its embassy in Tehran, relocating staff abroad while the embassy continues mobile operations. This move followed similar actions by international partners, including Britain and Switzerland, who closed their representations in Iran. Berlin has not offered flights for Germans residing in Iran, citing open border crossings to Turkey and Armenia despite the increased travel difficulty and danger following the US intervention. The German government has also rejected organizing bus convoys for evacuations in both Israel and Iran, citing significant road risks due to ongoing air strikes.
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