Germany calls Iran war "stress test" for NATO, says Israeli actions could cause "failure of the peace process"

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz acknowledged that the Iran war has become a "stress test" for NATO and said he doesn't want it to burden trans-Atlantic relations further.

Merz said he and Trump discussed the alliance's future in a phone call Wednesday and that he offered to discuss it again before a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, in July.

Merz said that "it is my firm intention to do everything to preserve the protection of NATO, including the United States of America, for Europe."

He added that "this alliance, at least at present, cannot be replaced by anything, so I have a great interest in preserving it and developing it further with the American president."

Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that "the severity with which Israel is waging war there could cause the failure of the peace process as a whole, and that must not happen."

He said that he and others had asked Israel on Wednesday to "end its further intensified attacks" and that his foreign minister had spoken twice to his Israeli counterpart.

Merz also spoke to Trump on Wednesday. The chancellor said on Thursday that the German government would start talking to Iran again, in consultation with the U.S. and its European partners, in the interest of making "our own contribution" to the success of peace negotiations.

Merz didn't specify with whom Germany intends to speak or when.