Merz and Trump are planning a fall in Tehran. “We need someone from the inside”

2026-03-03 19:30
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2026-03-03 19:30
We are of one mind when it comes to getting rid of the regime in Tehran, but we need to discuss what will happen next, said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday during a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House. Trump suggested that Iran would be better run by “someone from the inside.”


“We are of one mind when it comes to getting rid of this terrible regime in Tehran, and we need to talk about what will happen 'the day after' if they leave,” Merz said. The German Chancellor emphasized that it is necessary to discuss a common “strategy”.
When asked about the worst-case scenario for ending the war, Trump said it would be if someone worse than the current regime took power. He drew attention to the mistakes made by the US in Iraq and the authorities' purging of people associated with Saddam Hussein's regime (debasification), which resulted in the creation of the Islamic State. He presented the operation in Venezuela as a contrast.
He also said that the son of the deposed Shah of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, is a “nice man”, but noted that he is not popular in Iran and added that it would be best if the current authorities in Iran were replaced by “someone from the inside” who would “return power to the people”.
“I think someone from the inside would be a better fit,” he said.
Trump rejected suggestions that Israel forced the US to act against Iran.
– We were negotiating with these madmen and in my opinion they wanted to attack first. They were going to attack. If we didn't do this, they would attack first. I was deeply convinced of that, Trump said. “So, if anything, I could have forced Israel to act, but Israel was ready and we were ready,” he added.
A day earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that Israel intended to attack Iran regardless of the US decision, so the United States decided to do the same.
Trump announced that the operation against Iran was going well, Tehran was running out of missiles and had lost its air defense. He also pointed to the attack on the headquarters of the council that was supposed to elect the new leader of Iran.
– I think there was another blow to the new management today and it looks like this blow was also quite significant – he noted.
Trump assured that Iran has already been virtually defeated militarily, and the US is destroying its resources of missiles, launchers and navy.
Asked about the effects of the war on oil prices, Merz said it was clearly harmful to European economies. However, Trump assured that prices would soon fall as soon as the war ends.
Both leaders also announced talks about the war in Ukraine. Trump said ending the conflict is high on his list of priorities. But he admitted that resolving the conflict was more difficult than he thought, calling the war “stupid.”
– It takes two to tango, and they (Zelensky and Putin) have to reach an agreement. They must be able to talk to each other. They hate each other very much. “It has an impact,” Trump said.
He also criticized his predecessor for “very stupidly” giving Ukraine a large amount of high-class ammunition.
From Washington Oskar Górzyński (PAP)
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