VIDEO German Chancellor Friedrich Merz: “The Iranian regime's days are numbered,” but the West has limited options

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Wednesday that the days of the Iranian regime “are numbered”, but made it clear that the West's possibilities to intervene in Iran and Syria were “limited”.

Asked at a press conference alongside Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan whether the United States alone could intervene to bring about regime change in Iran and whether he stood by his claim that “the days of the mullahs' regime are numbered,” Merz said external options were few.

“Regarding the international events in Iran and Syria, we observe what is happening, and our possibilities to intervene there are limited,” said the German chancellor, who criticized the lack of consensus in the European Union.

“I very much regret that there are still two countries in the European Union that are still not ready to declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization. This could be decided by the Council of Foreign Ministers today, but we have not yet reached a consensus. Germany is for doing this. We want to exert the maximum possible pressure on the regime in Iran,” said Merz.

The chancellor said that Berlin supports increasing pressure on Tehran and has repeatedly reiterated its critical stance towards the Iranian regime, which it accuses of clinging to power through violence.

“My belief remains that a regime that, only with brutality, is directed against its population and that is the only way it can stay in power. Their days are numbered and they have no right to exist and if we have a number of victims who protested against the regime – then that proves that the regime can only stay in power with terror.

I think that for all the countries in the European Union… we stand by the Iranian people. We see the fate of women, of people who oppose this regime, and we try to support them through sanctions. The same goes for Syria. Last week, Syrian President Al-Sharaa wanted to come to Germany but, unfortunately, he could not come. I hope that this visit can be made in the near future. Our support is manifested externally. Inside the country, our possibilities of action are very limited, but with the resources we have, we try to contribute to the creation of peace and stability”, concluded the German chancellor.

Arrests continued in Iran on Tuesday after the protests that rocked the Islamic Republic earlier this month. At least 41,880 people have been detained and thousands of protesters have been killed, according to the latest figures from the US-based non-governmental organization Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

This NGO, as well as other human rights organizations, continue to work on documenting the repression, an effort hampered by the general blocking of the Internet since January 8.

Donald Trump has warned that the US has “a large army near Iran. Bigger than it was in Venezuela”, referring to the US operations that led to the capture of the Venezuelan head of state, Nicolas Maduro, in early January.

“We hope that Iran will 'come to the table quickly' and negotiate a fair and just deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS – one that is beneficial to all parties. Time is running out, it really is of the essence! As I told Iran once before: GET A DEAL! They didn't, and what followed was 'Operation Midnight Hammer,' a major destruction of Iran,” Trump continued on Wednesday.