German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said appeal to the new Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian to prevent a military escalation in the Middle East, reported DPA, quoted by BTA.
"The cycle of violence in the Middle East must be stopped; any other option would expose the countries and people of the region to enormous risk," Scholz told Pezeshkian, the chancellery said in a statement.
Scholz spoke over the weekend with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and expressed his concerns about the danger of war in the Middle East and beyond.
In his telephone conversation with Pezeshkian, the chancellor stressed the need for a ceasefire in Gaza and the return of the hostages held by "Hamas".
This will be an important contribution to de-escalating tensions in the region, Scholz told the Iranian leader, according to the statement.
Fears of a regional war have increased after the killing of two senior members of "Hamas" and the Lebanese group backed by Iran, "Hezbollah".
Iran and "Hezbollah" announced that they would launch massive strikes in response to the killings carried out by Israel. The Israeli armed forces have been on high alert for days. The US, Israel's most important ally, has deployed more warships and fighter jets to the region, further strengthening its presence there.