Germany’s Merz says Iran is making US officials travel for nothing in talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi travelled to Russia on Monday after failed talks in Pakistan and Oman.

Merz said it was evident the Strait of Hormuz had been at least partially mined. “We have offered, also as Europeans, to send German minesweepers to clear the strait, which has obviously been mined in part,” he said.

He said the conflict was costing Germany, “a lot of money, a lot of taxpayers’ money and a lot of economic strength.”

(Reporting by Andreas Rinke, writing by Kirsti Knolle; editing by Matthias Williams)