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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that the Trump administration is being deceived and "humiliated" by the regime in Tehran and that it lacks a clear strategy to end the conflict.
Speaking during a school visit in his home region in western Germany, Merz said the US had misjudged the Iranian regime and entered the war without a clear exit plan.
"The Iranians are clearly stronger than expected and the Americans don't have a really convincing strategy in negotiations either. An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership," Merz said, according to the German Press Agency dpa.
The comments marked some of Merz's harshest criticism yet of the US-Israeli war with Iran. At the start of the war, Merz was relatively supportive of the US effort, saying that Germany shared the goal of regime change in Iran despite doubts about the Trump administration's methods.
But as the conflict has dragged on and the economic costs on Germany's already weak economy have increased due to the energy crisis, Merz has become increasingly critical of the war and what he describes as the lack of a strategy by the US to end it.
"The US very clearly entered this war without any strategy," Merz said, warning that the conflict could degenerate into a quagmire like the US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Merz's comments came after a chaotic weekend for US-Iran diplomacy. US President Donald Trump abruptly canceled a planned trip by special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner to Pakistan, pulling out of what had been seen as a potential boost to fragile talks with Iran.
Germany has rejected US calls for NATO to join the conflict, insisting that "it is not NATO's war", while leaving open the possibility of a limited role in securing the Strait of Hormuz - including the use of German minesweepers, only after the fighting is over.
Merz has repeatedly warned of the economic consequences of the war, reiterating on Monday that it is costing us a lot of money. With the Strait of Hormuz still largely closed to commercial shipping, the price of oil has remained above $100 a barrel, raising costs across Europe.
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