German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the United States is being humiliated by Iran and that the Middle East war does not appear likely to end easily.
According to the Associated Press and others on the 27th (local time), Chancellor Merz visited a Gymnasium (middle and high school) in Marsberg, western Germany, and shared this view.
In a discussion with students, Merz said, "Iran is much stronger than expected, and the United States has no persuasive strategy even in negotiations." He added, "In such conflicts, the problem is always the same. You must not only start; you must be able to get out again." He went on, "We experienced this painfully for 20 years in Afghanistan, and it was the same in Iraq."
Merz went on, "It is quite obvious that the United States entered this war without a strategy," adding, "That has made it harder to end the conflict." He said, "In particular, the Iranians are negotiating very skillfully, or they are cleverly not negotiating at all," noting, "The U.S. side had to go to Islamabad (Pakistan) and then leave again with no result."
He also said, "An entire country, namely the United States, is being humiliated by Iran's leadership."
Reuters described Merz's remarks as "an unusually blunt criticism surrounding this conflict."
Merz stressed, "The current situation is entangled in a very complex way," adding, "We, too, are paying a huge expense for this war, and our economy is being directly affected."
Merz also said he directly conveyed to U.S. President Donald Trump his skeptical view of the war with Iran. He added that Germany is prepared to dispatch a mine countermeasures vessel to help reopen navigation through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, but that hostilities must first be suspended for that to happen.