Dubai | German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who on a two-day visit to India said he believes the Iranian government is in its “final days and weeks,” as he renewed a call for Iranian authorities to end violence against demonstrators immediately.

“If a regime can only keep itself in power by force, then it's effectively at the end,” Merz said on Tuesday during a visit to Bengaluru, India. “I believe we are now seeing the final days and weeks of this regime. In any case, it has no legitimacy through elections in the population. The population is now rising up against this regime.” Merz said he hoped there is “a possibility to end this conflict peacefully," adding that Germany is in close contact with the US and European governments.