Iran’s Expediency Council rejects surrender as an option

Iran will likely be a topic of discussion at next week's NATO summit, a German government spokesperson said during a news conference on Friday.

"We do not comment on allies' possible attack plans," the spokesperson said, referring to possible US military involvement in the Israel-Iran war.

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would decide within two weeks whether his country would join Israeli strikes.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Friday that Iran must demonstrate serious willingness to curb uranium enrichment and include its missile program in negotiations, ahead of planned nuclear talks in Geneva.

Wadephul is set to meet with his British and French counterparts—known collectively as the E3—alongside EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas at Germany’s permanent mission in Geneva, before a joint meeting with Iran’s foreign minister.

“If this serious willingness exists, then the consequence on our part will also be that we are prepared to hold further talks,” Wadephul said before departing.

He added that Germany remains committed to Israel’s security. “Israel can rely on Germany to always keep an eye on and defend the security and existence of the Israeli state. That is part of our raison d’être,” he said.

Supporters of Venezuela’s government marched through Caracas on June 19, 2025, expressing solidarity with Iran amid the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday called on Iran to return to the negotiating table and show willingness to curb its nuclear and regional activities.

He stressed that any talks must include Iran’s financing of regional proxies and that the IAEA must be allowed to continue its inspections to prevent nuclear enrichment.

Commenting on the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict, Macron said strikes on energy infrastructure and civilian areas “must absolutely stop,” adding that “nothing justifies attacks on civil nuclear facilities or the civilian population.”