German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday delivered unusually sharp criticism of the United States and President Donald Trump over the war with Iran.
According to quotes from a meeting with high school students in the city of Marsberg, Merz said Iran is “humiliating” the United States and has emerged from the war as strong — apparently referring to its ability to block the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil shipping route.
Merz said he sees no quick end to the war because “the Iranians are much stronger than was thought, and the Americans clearly do not have a convincing strategy for negotiations.” Of Trump, he said it is “quite clear he entered this war without any strategy at all,” adding that the situation is further complicated by the fact that the Iranians are “highly skilled at negotiating — or rather, quite skilled at not negotiating.”
The result, he was quoted as saying, is that “an entire nation is being humiliated by Iran’s leadership, particularly by the Revolutionary Guards,” referring to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an elite military force.
The German chancellor stressed that the United States and Israel did not consult with European countries before launching the war and said he had raised his doubts with Trump on two occasions. “If I had known it would go on like this for five or six weeks and gradually escalate, I would have said this to Trump more forcefully,” Merz said.