War in the Middle East: Iran threatens Germany with a “devastating blow”

Escalation in the Middle East

Iran threatens Germany with a “devastating blow”

In South Korea, the Chancellor quantified the consequences of the Iran war for Europe. Tehran’s foreign minister responds with a threat and refers to an old Merz quote.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and Europe threatened with a “devastating blow”. On the X platform, Araghtschi responded to a video with statements that Merz made in Seoul on Friday.

The Iran war began at the end of February with attacks by the USA and Israel began. Since then, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has de facto blocked it Strait of Hormuzglobal energy prices have risen. Last was over new US attacks after the congressional elections on November 3rd speculated.

In Seoul, Merz called on all parties to the conflict to find a diplomatic solution. “This conflict cannot be resolved militarily,” said the Chancellor. The increased energy prices alone have cost companies and consumers in Europe more than 100 billion euros in the past eight months. Europe therefore has an economic interest in a quick end to the conflict.

Araghchi picked up on this figure: “100 billion euros is nothing compared to the devastating blow inflicted by the mighty armed forces of the… Iran against those who dare to harm our people.” Red lines are a thing of the past, he wrote.

In his contribution to X, the Foreign Minister returned to a statement that was more than a year old. Merz welcomed the attacks by Israel and the USA on Iran last year – as “Europe’s dirty work”. In fact, Merz had in June 2025 on the sidelines of the G7 summit Canada in the ZDF said about the Israeli attacks: “This is the dirty work that Israel does – for all of us.”

The statement was met with a lot of criticism at the time and Merz later qualified his words: “I called it that way, you don’t have to repeat it. You can express it either way.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Moschtaba Khamenei has also spoken out and warned the US of new attacks. According to a statement published on Saturday, he told senior military commanders: “Any type of threat must be followed by an immediate, effective and geographically unrestricted response.” If “the enemy” attacks Iran, Tehran will “determine the time and conditions for their end.”

Army spokesman Mohammed Akraminia wrote on X, should be US President Donald Trump “As we set out again on regional adventures, the flames of war will undoubtedly spread over a much wider geographical area.”