Germany's Chancellor Scholz calls for de-escalation in call with Iranian president

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday expressed "great concern" about the "spiral of violence" in the Middle East in a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, his spokesman Wolfgang Buechner said in a statement.

Scholz "appealed to President Pezeshkian to do everything possible to prevent a further military escalation," expressed "great concern about the danger of a regional conflagration in the Middle East," and said, "the spiral of violence in the Middle East must be broken now."

Scholz is one of many international leaders seeking to head off mounting tensions between Iran and Israel.

AFP