German Chancellor Merz says Iran humiliates the United States

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. (Wikimedia Commons/European People's Party)

JAKARTA - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that Iran's leadership humiliated the United States, making Was officials travel to Pakistan and then leave without results.

Chancellor Merz also said he did not see what exit strategy the US was pursuing in the Iran war, a comment that underscored the deep divisions between Washington and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies in Europe, which have worsened over Ukraine and other issues.

"It is clear that Iran is very skilled in negotiating, or rather, very skilled in not negotiating, letting the Americans travel to Islamabad and then leave again without any results," he said while speaking to students in the city of Marsberg, launching Al Arabiya from Reuters (27/4).

"The entire nation is embarrassed by the Iranian leadership, especially by this so-called Revolutionary Guard (IRGC). And because of that I hope this ends as soon as possible," he added.

Chancellor Merz reiterated that Germany and Europe were not consulted before the US and Israel began attacking Iran on February 28, and he had expressed his skepticism directly to President Trump afterwards.

"If I had known that this would continue like this for five or six weeks and get worse, I would have told him more firmly," said Chancellor Merz, comparing it to the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Merz said it was clear that the Strait of Hormuz had at least partially been mined.

"We, as Europeans, have also offered to send German mine-sweeping vessels to clear the strait, which has obviously been partially mined," he said.

He said the conflict was costing Germany "a lot of money, a lot of taxpayer money, and a lot of economic strength."

"The problem with conflicts like this is that you always have to not only get in, you also have to get out again. We saw it very painfully in Afghanistan for 20 years. We saw it in Iraq," Al Jazeera quoted him as saying.

Merz made the comments amid growing concerns across Europe about the wider impact of the conflict, including energy disruptions and economic instability.

Previously, US President Donald Trump had harshly criticized NATO allies for not sending their navies to help open the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict.

The waterway is practically still closed, causing unprecedented market chaos and energy supply disruptions.

Hopes for reviving the peace effort have faded since President Trump canceled the visits of his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, on Saturday.