World leaders urged peace and a return to talks as the military strikes by the US and Israel on Iran raised concerns about whether the violence could spread across the region. A massive explosion rocked the Iranian capital on Sunday morning as the Israeli military said it was targeting the “heart” of the city after stating it cleared the path to the capital Tehran the day before. Meanwhile, Iran pressed on with its retaliation campaign targeting US military bases in Gulf states. In recognition of the legal ambiguity of the US attack, Mr Merz said that, globally, international law was being respected less and less and there was little point in lecturing allies. He said the Iranian regime was a “terrorist” one, endangering its citizens and the region and therefore Germany essentially agreed with the goals of the US action.

Source: Irish Examiner March 01, 2026 19:31 UTC