Germany’s Merz Slams US Lack of Coherent Negotiation Strategy
Merz's remarks came as the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz remained largely shut to commercial shipping, sending global energy prices climbing amid the prolonged crisis.
"The Iranians are clearly stronger than expected, and the Americans clearly have no truly convincing strategy in the negotiations either," Merz said during a visit to a school in Marsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia.
Drawing on painful historical parallels, the chancellor cautioned against underestimating the complexity of extricating a military power from an entrenched conflict. "The problem with conflicts like this is always that you don't just have to get in – you also have to get out again. We saw that very painfully in Afghanistan for 20 years. We saw it in Iraq," he said, according to Deutsche Welle.
Merz expressed particular skepticism over Iran's negotiating posture, suggesting Tehran was wielding diplomatic ambiguity as a weapon. "At the moment, I do not see what strategic exit the Americans will choose, especially since the Iranians are negotiating very skillfully – or very skillfully not negotiating," he added.
The German leader reserved his sharpest words for Iran's domestic conduct, contending that "an entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, particularly by the so-called Revolutionary Guards."
The remarks landed as media, citing US officials, reported that President Donald Trump had rejected Iran's latest proposal to reopen the strait and bring the conflict to a close. On Sunday, Trump abruptly canceled his envoys' scheduled trip to Pakistan for talks with Iranian counterparts, declaring he holds "all the cards."
The conflict traces back to February 28, when the US and Israel launched a joint bombing campaign targeting Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile infrastructure. Yet despite sustained and intensive airstrikes, neither Washington nor Tel Aviv has succeeded in halting Iranian missile and drone attacks on Israeli territory and American military installations across the region. Trump has equally failed to compel Tehran to lift its closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran shut to what it termed "hostile" shipping.
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