Merkel reassures of Germany's commitment to Iran nuke deal in talks with Israeli PM

BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday reiterated Berlin's commitment to the Iran nuclear deal signed by six major global players with Tehran in 2015.

Merkel made the remarks after a meeting with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu said that Iran was doing everything in its power to acquire nuclear weapons and destroy Israel and he urged Berlin to follow Washington's example and take a more aggressive stance on Iran.

Merkel, who appeared unimpressed by Netanyahu's remarks about a looming genocide by Iran against Israel, reiterated that Berlin remains committed to the terms of the Iran nuclear deal signed by China, Russia, France, Britain, the United States and Germany in 2015.

Germany and Israel agree on the need to prevent a "nuclear-armed" Iran,but have different views on the way to achieve that end, said Merkel.

Other issues that the two sides see differently include the status of Jerusalem, said the German leader, who also said Berlin still favors a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

US President Donald Trump announced in May that he has decided to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, saying it did not address Iran's ballistic missile program, its nuclear activities beyond 2025 or its role in conflicts in Yemen and Syria.

Tehran has threatened that it will pull out of the agreement and resume its nuclear activities if other parties to the deal don't safeguard Iran's interests under the accord.