WorldIran escalates war rhetoric after Merz calls for a negotiated end

A fresh exchange of threats over the Iran war is fuelling fears of further escalation. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says higher energy prices caused by the conflict have cost Europe more than €100 billion, and insists it cannot be resolved militarily. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned of an “earth-shattering blow” and said “red lines are a thing of the past.”