German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he had a good phone call with US President Donald Trump after his China trip and that both agreed Iran must return to the negotiating table, open the Strait of Hormuz and must not be allowed to have nuclear weapons, Reuters reports.

Merz said in posts on X that he and Trump also discussed a peaceful solution for Ukraine and coordinated their positions ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, adding that the United States and Germany were strong partners in a strong NATO.