German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticised the US for entering the war on Iran without a clear plan, warning this complicates efforts to bring the conflict to an end.
“The problem with conflicts like these is always the same: it’s not just about getting in; you also have to get out. We saw that all too painfully in Afghanistan, for 20 years. We saw it in Iraq,” he said during remarks to students in Marsberg.
“Especially since the Iranians are negotiating very skillfully – or rather, very skillfully not negotiating and then letting the Americans travel to Islamabad, only to send them back without any results. An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards.”
He said Germany remains willing to deploy minesweepers to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but only once the fighting has ended.