German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has criticised the United States’ approach in the ongoing Iran conflict, questioning Washington’s strategy and potential exit path.
Speaking during a visit in Marsberg, Chancellor Merz said Iran’s leadership appeared to be gaining leverage, describing negotiations as “very skilful” while suggesting the US lacks a “convincing strategy”. He drew comparisons with past interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq, highlighting the challenges of disengagement.
“The Iranians are clearly stronger than expected and the Americans clearly have no truly convincing strategy in the negotiations either,” Merz said during a school visit in Marsberg, a town in his home region of Sauerland.
“The problem with conflicts like this is always: you don’t just have to get in, you have to get out again. We saw that very painfully in Afghanistan for 20 years. We saw it in Iraq.”
“At the moment, I do not see what strategic exit the Americans will choose, especially since the Iranians are clearly negotiating very skillfully — or very skillfully not negotiating,” he said.
Merz added that “an entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, particularly by the so-called Revolutionary Guards.”
Merz also warned that escalating Middle East tensions are affecting Germany’s economy, citing direct impacts on output linked to the conflict.
“It is at the moment a pretty tangled situation,” Merz said. “And it is costing us a great deal of money. This conflict, this war against Iran, has a direct impact on our economic output.”
He added that Berlin remains prepared to deploy minesweepers to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, though only if hostilities subside.
The Chancellor further called for stronger European Union coordination, emphasising that greater unity could enhance the bloc’s global influence.
ℹ️ DW News
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