US-Iran tension | Germany warns of escalation, calls for diplomacy

Amid continuing tension between United States of America and Iran, Germany appealed for diplomatic engagement. German foreign minister Heiko Maas warned of the risk of escalation between the two nations and said that diplomatic tools must be used. Tehran and Washington have been at loggerheads since the Trump administration's decision to pull out of the 2015 nuclear deal. Subsequent imposition of sanctions irked the Iranians who then breached the uranium enrichment limits enshrined in the agreement. US has also accused Iran of attacking oil tankers in or near the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran shot down an American drone it says crossed into its airspace.