Merkel says worth seizing chance to talk to Iran

BIARRITZ, France — German Chancellor Angela Merkel says it is worth taking every opportunity to avoid a further escalation of the standoff over Iran’s nuclear program, and that G-7 leaders had a “good, constructive discussion” on the subject on Saturday evening.

Iran’s foreign minister made a previously unannounced visit Sunday to Biarritz, France, where the G-7 summit was taking place. He came at France’s invitation after a Saturday night discussion that Merkel said made clear all leaders agree that Iran must not get a nuclear weapon and that must be achieved by negotiations.

Merkel says Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif’s presence is “a parallel event in the same place, but not a G-7 movement, and now we must see whether the immediate communication of how the talks went yesterday produces further possibilities to speak and perhaps negotiate with Iran.”

— AP