Germany welcomes US delay of Iran ultimatum for talks

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Wednesday (March 25) welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump's pursuit of negotiations to end the war with Iran and said he hoped the talks would be given a chance to succeed.

"It is welcome news that the US President has postponed the ultimatum he issued to the Iranian regime by a few days and is now seeking negotiations," Wadephul said alongside his Tunisian counterpart Mohamed Ali Nafti in Berlin.

"The Iranian regime would be well advised to respond to this now. So if there is a window of opportunity for diplomacy, we should certainly give talks a chance."

A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday that Pakistan has delivered a proposal from the U.S. to Iran, and either Pakistan or Turkey could be venues for discussions to de-escalate the war in the Gulf.

The comments, on condition of anonymity, were among rare signs that Tehran might consider diplomatic proposals, despite insisting in public that no talks were under way and it would make no deal with the Trump administration.

-Production: Martin Schlicht, Laura Urraca-Makuch, Anna Dittrich/Reuters