German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized the United States’ strategy in its war with Iran, saying that he does not see what way Washington has to solve the conflict and that he is “being humiliated by the Iranian leaders” in the negotiations.
Merz made these statements Monday at a meeting with students in the city of Marsberg, where he said that the Iranians are “obviously negotiating very skillfully” and are “clearly stronger than previously thought.”
“It is evident that the Americans do not have a strategy, and the problem with conflicts like this is always that entering is not enough, you also have to leave,” the chancellor stated in the talk.
“We saw it very painfully in Afghanistan, for 20 years. We saw it in Iraq. So this whole thing is, as I said, ill-considered, to say the least. At the moment, I don’t see what strategic way out the Americans are choosing, especially since the Iranians are obviously negotiating very skillfully or, rather, very skillfully by not negotiating and letting the Americans travel to Islamabad only to leave again without any result,” he continued.
The United States and Israel launched a large-scale military offensive on February 28, prompting a response from Tehran against Israeli territory and other Middle Eastern countries. The conflict escalated to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a major passage for the Persian Gulf oil trade.
Although the US and Iran agreed to a truce that began on April 8, Pakistan-mediated talks in Islamabad, aimed at reaching a final agreement, have stalled in recent weeks.
The conflict has hit countries that directly depend on Gulf oil, but has also made energy prices more expensive worldwide, including Germany and several European countries.
For Merz, the way Iranian leaders have exploited their advantages has exposed the Americans’ poor strategy.
“An entire nation is being humiliated by the leaders of the Iranian State, especially by the so-called Revolutionary Guard,” he said.
“The Iranians are clearly stronger than previously thought”
Given the staunch panorama, Merz regretted that the US has not had a good strategy nor that President Donald Trump has taken his European allies into account.
“We, as Europeans, offered – and said we were willing – to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz after the end of negotiations. We offered to send minesweepers from Germany to help clear the passage of mines, as it has clearly been at least partially mined. We can help with that, but first the fighting must end,” the chancellor told the students in Marsberg.
“And at the moment I don’t see how this can be achieved in the near future, because the Iranians are clearly stronger than previously thought and the Americans clearly don’t seem to have a convincing negotiation strategy. I’m sorry to have to say it, but, at the moment, it’s a pretty complicated situation,” he added.
The German leader also regretted that the conflict in the Middle East is causing blows to his country’s economy due to the increase in energy costs, which is why he said that the war “must end as soon as possible.”
However, diplomatic efforts in Islamabad have stalled despite Trump extending the ceasefire, which was due to expire on April 22, to allow talks to continue.
On Saturday, the US president announced the cancellation of US officials’ trip to Pakistan for talks with Iran, shortly after the Tehran delegation left the Pakistani capital.
Trump said they were wasting “too much time” and added that if Iran wanted to talk, “all they had to do was call.”
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