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Germany’s Merz Blasts U.S. Over Iran War Strategy
(MENAFN) German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday delivered a sharp rebuke of Washington's handling of the Iran war, warning that the United States entered the conflict without a coherent plan and now faces mounting difficulty finding a way out.
"The problem with such conflicts is always this: You don't just have to get in; you also have to get out. We saw that very painfully in Afghanistan, for 20 years. We saw it in Iraq," Merz said during a session with high school students in the western town of Marsberg.
The chancellor argued that past military entanglements should have served as a cautionary lesson. The US "clearly went into this war in Iran without any strategy at all," DPA (German Press Agency) quoted Merz as saying, noting that the absence of a clear framework has made ending the conflict considerably harder.
Merz further cast doubt on any prospect of a swift resolution, citing both battlefield realities and diplomatic failures. He said he did not believe the US could end the war in Iran quickly "because the Iranians are obviously stronger than expected, and the Americans clearly don't have a truly convincing strategy in the negotiations either."
On Iran's approach to diplomacy, the chancellor was pointed: "Especially since the Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating -- or, rather, very skilled at not negotiating," he said. "An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership," he added.
Beyond the geopolitical dimension, Merz raised the alarm over the war's direct toll on Europe's largest economy. "It's a rather tricky situation at the moment and it's costing us a great deal of money. This conflict, this war against Iran, has a direct impact on our economic performance," he warned.
Berlin last week revised its growth projections downward, explicitly attributing the deterioration to the ongoing US-Israeli military campaign against Iran. Merz's conservative-led coalition now projects GDP growth of just 0.5% for the current year — half the previous estimate of 1.0% — while the 2027 outlook was similarly trimmed to 0.9% from 1.3%.
The chancellor's criticism comes amid growing domestic pressure. A recent poll by Bild am Sonntag found 70% of eligible voters dissatisfied with Merz's performance, against only 21% who approved. His center-right coalition of Christian Democrats and Social Democrats fared little better, drawing disapproval from 73% of respondents, with just 20% expressing satisfaction.
"The problem with such conflicts is always this: You don't just have to get in; you also have to get out. We saw that very painfully in Afghanistan, for 20 years. We saw it in Iraq," Merz said during a session with high school students in the western town of Marsberg.
The chancellor argued that past military entanglements should have served as a cautionary lesson. The US "clearly went into this war in Iran without any strategy at all," DPA (German Press Agency) quoted Merz as saying, noting that the absence of a clear framework has made ending the conflict considerably harder.
Merz further cast doubt on any prospect of a swift resolution, citing both battlefield realities and diplomatic failures. He said he did not believe the US could end the war in Iran quickly "because the Iranians are obviously stronger than expected, and the Americans clearly don't have a truly convincing strategy in the negotiations either."
On Iran's approach to diplomacy, the chancellor was pointed: "Especially since the Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating -- or, rather, very skilled at not negotiating," he said. "An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership," he added.
Beyond the geopolitical dimension, Merz raised the alarm over the war's direct toll on Europe's largest economy. "It's a rather tricky situation at the moment and it's costing us a great deal of money. This conflict, this war against Iran, has a direct impact on our economic performance," he warned.
Berlin last week revised its growth projections downward, explicitly attributing the deterioration to the ongoing US-Israeli military campaign against Iran. Merz's conservative-led coalition now projects GDP growth of just 0.5% for the current year — half the previous estimate of 1.0% — while the 2027 outlook was similarly trimmed to 0.9% from 1.3%.
The chancellor's criticism comes amid growing domestic pressure. A recent poll by Bild am Sonntag found 70% of eligible voters dissatisfied with Merz's performance, against only 21% who approved. His center-right coalition of Christian Democrats and Social Democrats fared little better, drawing disapproval from 73% of respondents, with just 20% expressing satisfaction.
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