German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized the US war in the Middle East, saying that Washington has no strategy in dealing with Iran. Fragments of his speech at the Charlemagne Gymnasium in the city of Marsberg are provided by n-tv.
He stressed that the experience of previous wars – in particular in Afghanistan and Iraq – shows that the problem is always how to end the conflict. Therefore, the politician considers the war against Iran “rash.”
The chancellor added that he sees no prospect of ending the war, “because the Iranians are obviously stronger than expected, and the Americans clearly do not have a truly convincing negotiating strategy.”
“At the moment, I don’t see what exit strategy the Americans are choosing, especially given that the Iranians are obviously very skillful at negotiating – or rather, very skillful at not negotiating,” Merz said.
He added that “an entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by the so-called Revolutionary Guard.”
Merz stressed that Israel and the United States did not consult with the Europeans when launching attacks on Iran. He said he had twice expressed his skepticism directly to US President Donald Trump.
“If I had known that this would continue for five to six weeks and would gradually get worse, I would have told him about it even more categorically,” the chancellor said. He noted that the war directly affects the German economy.
