Germany has called on members of the council to live up to their role in the UN’s most powerful body when it comes to dealing with the Iran war.
German foreign minister Johann Wadephul said this as he is travelling to New York on Monday to take part in a UN Security Council meeting likely to focus on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.
“If the Security Council takes responsibility now, it will also strengthen the international order,” he said.
The UN needed to become “the central hub of current crisis diplomacy”, he said, lamenting how “time and again, far too often, individual parties with their conflicting interests block the UN Security Council”.
China and Russia, as permanent members of the UN Security Council with veto power, frequently prevent initiatives aimed at resolving conflicts.
Germany’s top diplomat plans to give a speech during a debate on maritime security, expected to address efforts to enable the resumption of oil and gas trade through the narrow waterway that has become a flashpoint in the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Wadephul, who will be in New York for two days, also plans to attend the review conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which kicks off on Monday.
The conference comes at a sensitive moment, as the US and Israel have partially justified their attacks on Iran by saying they want to prevent the country from building a nuclear bomb.
Nuclear programme has been causing tensions
Iran’s nuclear programme has long been the subject of tensions between Washington and Tehran. The two sides had been in negotiations over Iran’s nuclear capabilities when the US and Israel began their war on Iran on February 28.
The Iranian government has consistently rejected accusations it is seeking an atomic bomb, insisting that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes only.
Wadephul also plans to hold talks with UN Secretary General António Guterres as well as other high-ranking UN officials, as he seeks to shore up support for Germany’s bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
The council, which is tasked with the maintenance of international peace and security, is the only UN body with the authority to pass legally binding resolutions where non-compliance can be met with sanctions and even military action.
It has five veto-wielding permanent members – Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States – and 10 non-permanent members elected by the UN General Assembly for two-year terms and following regional rotations to ensure equal representation.
Chancellor slams US for planless war
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday criticised the United States for its “planless” military engagement in Iran, adding that the United States “is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership”.
Speaking at the Carolus-Magnus-Gymnasium, a school in Marsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Merz expressed his scepticism about Washington’s ability to quickly conclude its war with Iran.
The United States “obviously went into this war without any strategy,” Merz was quoted by the German magazine Spiegel as saying, adding that the Iranian side is negotiating highly skilfully.
“The problem with such conflicts is always: you don’t just have to go in, you also have to get out,” he said.
Merz reiterated Germany’s offer to help secure the Strait of Hormuz and restore global oil supply chains. However, he stressed that Germany will only participate once all combat operations have ceased.
On February 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing Iran’s then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior commanders and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and US interests in the Middle East and tightened control over the Strait of Hormuz, a key global route for oil and gas shipments.
A ceasefire was achieved on April 8, but Iran and the United States failed to yield an agreement in their talks in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad. The United States later imposed its own blockade on the waterway.
The disruptions in the strait have sharply driven up energy prices, with Brent crude climbing above $107 per barrel on Monday.
- Germany urges UN Security Council members to fulfill their responsibilities in addressing the ongoing Iran war and related conflicts.
- German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul emphasizes the need for the UN to lead crisis diplomacy, criticizing frequent vetoes by China and Russia that block conflict resolution efforts.
- Wadephul will speak at a UN Security Council debate on maritime security, focusing on resuming oil and gas trade through the Strait of Hormuz amid tensions linked to the US-Israeli conflict with Iran.
- He will also attend the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons review conference, occurring amid heightened tensions over allegations about Iran’s nuclear program.
- Wadephul plans to meet with key UN officials, including the Secretary-General, to build support for Germany’s bid for a non-permanent Security Council seat.
German foreign minister Johann Wadephul said this as he is travelling to New York on
"If the Security Council takes responsibility now, it will also strengthen the international order," he said.
China and Russia, as permanent members of the UN Security Council with veto power, frequently prevent initiatives aimed at resolving conflicts.
Wadephul, who will be in New York for two days, also plans to attend the review conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which kicks off on
Iran's nuclear programme has long been the subject of tensions between
Wadephul also plans to hold talks with UN Secretary General António Guterres as well as other high-ranking UN officials, as he seeks to shore up support for
It has five veto-wielding permanent members – Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States – and 10 non-permanent members elected by the UN General
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on
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Merz reiterated
On February 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali
A ceasefire was achieved on April 8, but Iran and the United States failed to yield an agreement in their talks in Pakistan's capital Islamabad.
