US - Germany Relations: Donald Trump, Angela Merkel Discuss Iran Crisis, Libya Destabilization

President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a phone call this weekend about tensions in the Middle East and security issues in Libya.

"Yesterday, President Donald J. Trump spoke with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany. The two leaders discussed ongoing regional security matters in the Middle East and Libya and other bilateral issues,” White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere said Monday.

Germany’s call with Trump comes as the U.S. and Iran face heightened military and diplomatic tensions. Trump’s decision to kill Iranian commander Qassim Soleimani earlier this month at Baghdad International Airport has angered the Iranian leadership, with Tehran launching missiles at U.S military bases on Jan. 8. There were no American casualties in the attack but Trump decided to ratchet up sanctions on Iran as a response.

Trump has claimed that Soleimani was planning an “imminent attack” on the U.S., which has raised skepticism from Democrats.

Ulrike Demmer, a German government spokeswoman, said that the strike on Soleimani was a response to Iranian military provocations in the Middle East region. This angered Tehran, with the Iranian government summoning the German charge d’affaires in the country.

Germany has been frustrated with Trump’s Iran policy and his decision to have the U.S. leave the 2015 nuclear deal.

Merkel’s decision to speak with Trump about Libya comes as the heads of the two warring factions in the country meet in Moscow for talks. The head of the Libyan Government National Accord (LGNA) Fayez Al-Sarraj has signed a draft ceasefire agreement, with the LGNA supported by the United Nations. The other major player in the Libyan civil war, Libyan National Army Commander Khalifa Haftar, has not yet signed the agreement. Haftar is backed by Russia, while the LGNA is supported by Turkey.

Both Turkey and Russia have decided to help Libya's warring factions resolve their military conflict.

Merkel wants Libya to have a stable political and economic situation, in order to prevent further migration to Germany. In 2011, a NATO-led military coalition resulted in the overthrow of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who had ruled the country for 42 years.

Trump and Merkel are currently in different stages of their political careers, with Trump seeking a second term in the November presidential elections after he was impeached in December. Merkel, on the other hand, has said that she would not run for a fifth term as chancellor and will step down in 2021.