The escalation of the conflict between the US and Iran has caused at the international level fears of an escalation of the situation in the Middle East.

The German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in an interview with the Bild am Sonntag newspaper on Sunday, May 12, that Germany, together with its European partners, should take all measures to prevent armed clashes, DW reported.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian warned of the danger of the spiral of war, pointing to the responsibility of Washington, which on May 10 approved sending the Arlington helicopter ship and the Patriot missile system to the region. A few days earlier, the United States sent a carrier-based strike force to the Middle East, led by the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and a tactical group of bombers.

Expanding its military presence in the Middle East region, the US administration, according to its statement, responds to indications of Iran’s increased readiness for attacks on US forces. No details were given.

The US President Donald Trump noted that his country does not want a conflict with Iran, but is ready to defend its troops and its own interests in the region.

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani, in his turn, said that the country was under unprecedented external economic and political pressure.