German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Monday that Iran’s leadership was humiliating the United States by drawing U.S. officials into failed diplomacy in Pakistan, delivering an unusually blunt rebuke of Washington’s handling of the war as transatlantic tensions widened over strategy and end goals.
Merz Questions U.S. Strategy In Iran
Reuters reported that speaking to students in Marsberg, in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Merz said he could not see what exit strategy the United States was pursuing in the conflict, highlighting strains between Washington and European NATO allies that had already deepened over Ukraine and other disputes.
“The Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating, or rather, very skillful at not negotiating, letting the Americans travel to Islamabad and then leave again without any result,” Merz said. He added, “An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards. And so I hope that this ends as quickly as possible.”
Europe Chafes At Trump’s War Approach
His comments came after President Donald Trump scrapped a planned trip by special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner to Islamabad, saying the Iranians were not ready and that the discussions could be handled by phone instead.
Merz also said Germany and other European allies were not consulted before the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, and said he had conveyed his skepticism directly to Trump afterward.
He said that if he had known the war would drag on for five or six weeks and worsen, he would have voiced his objections even more strongly, comparing the situation to previous U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He added that the war was costing Germany heavily in taxpayer money and economic strength.
Trump has meanwhile criticized NATO allies for not sending naval help to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, where disruptions have rattled markets and energy supplies.
New Iran Offer Fails To Sway Trump
Later Monday, Reuters reported that a U.S. official said Trump was unhappy with a new Iranian proposal because it set aside nuclear issues until after the war and shipping disputes were resolved, even though Pakistani mediators said efforts to bridge the gap had not stopped.
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