German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that Iran’s leadership is humiliating the United States in the ongoing war. Merz made the remarks during a school visit in Marsberg, a town in North Rhine-Westphalia. He sharply criticized Washington’s approach to the conflict.
“The problem with conflicts like this is always: you don’t just have to get in, you have to get out again,” Merz told students. He recalled painful lessons from Afghanistan and Iraq.
Merz assessed the military balance between the two nations. “The Americans clearly have no strategy,” he said. He then described Iran’s performance. “The Iranians are clearly stronger than one thought.”
He praised Tehran’s negotiating skills. “The Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating,” Merz added. He elaborated on their tactics. He said they let American officials travel to Islamabad only to leave “without any result.”
Merz directly accused Iran’s leadership of a deliberate act. “An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership,” Merz said. He placed the blame specifically on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Furthermore, Merz warned that the war is affecting Germany’s economy. “It is at the moment a pretty tangled situation,” Merz explained. He confirmed the financial toll. “And it is costing us a great deal of money.”
Merz offered an assessment of the key shipping route. He said it was evident the Strait of Hormuz had been partially mined. “We have offered, also as Europeans, to send German minesweepers to clear the strait,” Merz concluded.
