German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned Monday that Iran’s leadership is in the process of humiliating the United States amid the ongoing confrontation. Speaking during a school visit in Marsberg in his Sauerland home region, Merz said Washington appears to lack a clear strategy and questioned what kind of exit the US could pursue.
He argued that the Iranians have proven stronger than expected and that US negotiators have no convincing plan. Merz recalled the painful lessons of prolonged interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq, saying that conflicts require not only an entry plan but also a viable exit strategy — one he does not currently see the Americans choosing while Tehran negotiates very skillfully, or chooses not to negotiate.
Merz also said the Iranian leadership, particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is humiliating an entire nation. He warned the deteriorating situation in the Middle East is already hitting Germany’s economy, calling it a tangled situation that is costing the country substantial sums and directly affecting economic output.
On security measures, Merz said Germany still offers to send minesweepers to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil route, but stressed that hostilities must end first. During his visit to the Carolus-Magnus-Gymnasium for EU Project Day, he also urged Germany to take a leading role in the European Union, noting that the EU has roughly 100 million more inhabitants than the US and could match American strength if it acted more united and effectively.