Merz says Germany working to end Iran war that has cost Europe $112bn

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said that Germany was working to bring Iran war to an end as soon as possible as the conflict has added more than 100 billion euros ($112bn) to Europe’s energy costs over the past eight months. Speaking to reporters in Seoul on Friday, he said Germany was coordinating and stepping up diplomatic efforts to bring the conflict to an end, while stressing that the "conflict cannot be resolved militarily". “Businesses and consumers in Europe have paid more than 100 billion euros extra because energy has become more expensive as a result of this conflict,” he said. “We therefore also have an economic interest in bringing this conflict to an end as quickly as possible.”