Germany’s Merz says Americans ‘humiliated’ by Iran, Trump has no exit strategy

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday criticized the US for lacking an “exit strategy” in the Iran war, while saying the Americans were “humiliated” by the Iranian regime during the negotiations.

“Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating—or rather, very skillful at not negotiating—and then letting the Americans travel to Islamabad and leave again without any results,” Merz said during a discussion with high school students in the western town of Marsberg.

“An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards,” he said.

Merz said he did not believe the US could end the war in Iran quickly “because the Iranians are obviously stronger than expected, and the Americans clearly don’t have a truly convincing strategy in the negotiations either.”

The conservative German leader criticized the Trump administration for failing to learn from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, saying the US entered the conflict with Iran without a clear strategy and leaving what comes next unpredictable.

“The problem with such conflicts is always this: You don’t just have to get in; you also have to get out. We saw that very painfully in Afghanistan, for 20 years. We saw it in Iraq,” Merz said. “This whole thing is, at the very least, ill-considered, and I don't currently see what strategic exit the Americans are choosing.”

Merz also warned that the US war in Iran has deeply affected his country’s economic performance.

“It’s a rather tricky situation at the moment and it’s costing us a great deal of money. This conflict, this war against Iran, has a direct impact on our economic performance.”

Last week, Europe’s economic powerhouse slashed its growth forecast for this year and next, squarely blaming the US-Israeli war on Iran.

The conservative-led coalition of Merz now expects the economy to grow only 0.5% this year, down from a prior estimate of 1.0%. For 2027, it likewise lowered its forecast to 0.9% from 1.3%.

Earlier this month, a poll conducted by the Sunday daily Bild am Sonntag newspaper found that 70% of eligible voters are dissatisfied with Merz’s performance, while only 21% are satisfied. Seventy-three percent of those surveyed are dissatisfied with the center-right coalition of Christian Democrats and Social Democrat, while only 20% are satisfied.