JUST IN: German Chancellor Merz Says Iranians Are ‘Clearly Stronger Than One Thought’
Reflecto News | Breaking News | Iran-US War
BERLIN — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered a sharp reality check on the state of the Iran war Monday, saying the Islamic Republic has proven far more resilient than expected and questioning whether the United States has any viable strategy to end the conflict.
🔥 ‘Stronger Than Expected’
Speaking to high school students in the western town of Marsberg, Merz offered a blunt assessment of Washington’s position almost two months after US-Israeli strikes triggered the war on February 28.
“The Iranians are clearly stronger than one thought. At the moment, I do not see what strategic exit the Americans will choose, especially since the Iranians are clearly negotiating very skillfully — or very skillfully not negotiating.”
— Friedrich Merz, German Chancellor
Merz warned that the conflict is costing Germany “a great deal of money” and having a direct negative impact on its economic performance. He said the war in Ukraine and the Middle East crisis are hammering energy markets in Europe, Asia, and the US.
🎯 ‘No Exit Strategy’
The Chancellor expressed deep skepticism about Washington’s planning, contrasting the current situation with past US interventions.
“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.”
— Friedrich Merz
Merz claimed the US “clearly went into this war without any strategy at all,” making it all the more difficult to end the conflict now. He noted that Washington’s cancellation of envoy trips to Pakistan—where first-round peace talks collapsed—coupled with Iran’s continued diplomatic outreach to Oman and Russia, suggests Tehran is outmaneuvering the US at every turn.
🇮🇷 ‘An Entire Nation Is Being Humiliated’
Merz turned his criticism to Iran’s internal repression, accusing the country’s leadership—particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—of humiliating the Iranian people.
“An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards.”
“The Americans clearly have no strategy, and the problem with conflicts like this is always that you don’t just have to go in; you also have to get out again.”
— Friedrich Merz
The comments mark a significant shift from Merz earlier this month, when he still appeared to hope that the US-Israeli strikes might cripple the regime and bring down the government.
🚢 Strait of Hormuz and European Role
Merz also said the strategic waterway has “obviously been mined in part,” adding that Europe had offered to send minesweepers to clear the passage. However, he noted that securing the strait would not resolve the fundamental crisis.
“When supply chains are disrupted, when energy prices rise, when geopolitical uncertainty grows, this has a direct impact on Germany.”
— Friedrich Merz
Merz reiterated that Germany and Europe were not consulted before the strikes on Iran and said he had expressed his skepticism directly to Trump. “If I had known that it would continue like this for five or six weeks and get progressively worse, I would have told him even more emphatically,” he added.
📊 Key Takeaways
| Aspect | Summary |
|---|---|
| Iran’s resilience | “Clearly stronger than one thought” — more resilient than US expected |
| US strategy | Merz sees “no credible exit” from the conflict |
| Talks status | Iran “negotiating very skillfully — or skillfully not negotiating” |
| Economic impact | War costing Germany “a great deal” of money, hurting economic performance |
| Strait of Hormuz | Merz confirms waterway partially mined; Europe offers minesweepers |
| Europe’s role | Germany and EU “not consulted” before strikes began |
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