The military operations launched by the United States and Israel against Iran have aroused public doubts from their European allies. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made a public statement, stating bluntly that the United States is being "humiliated" by Iran, and that it has neither an overall strategic plan nor a clear exit path in this Middle East conflict.
Public information shows that on April 27 local time, during an exchange with students in North Rhine-Westphalia, Merz expressed a series of clear views on the current situation in Iran. He emphasized that at present, "no exit strategy for the United States in the Iran-related conflict can be seen", and pointed out that the United States "obviously intervened in this conflict without an overall strategy", which has made the subsequent conclusion of the situation more difficult.
During the exchange that day, Merz further criticized, arguing that the Washington side also "does not have a truly convincing strategy" in the relevant negotiations, while Iran "obviously demonstrated sophisticated negotiating skills—or very cleverly refused to negotiate".
He stated in strong terms that "the entire United States is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership". Relevant analyses point out that as a European leader who has long been regarded as a firm Atlanticist, Merz's remarks reflect the growing dissatisfaction of European countries with this Middle East conflict.
"Easy to get in, hard to get out": Lessons from Afghanistan and Iraq
When talking about the current situation of the Iran conflict, Merz clearly stated that the United States "has not formed a truly convincing strategy" in this conflict and related negotiations, and at the same time believed that Iran is "obviously stronger than expected by the outside world". He described the current situation as "quite complex" and clearly pointed out that this conflict has had a direct impact on the operation of the global economy.
When talking about the in-depth difficulties of the conflict, Merz also cited historical lessons. He said: "The problem with such conflicts is always the same: you not only have to get in, but also get out. We saw this painfully in Afghanistan, which lasted for 20 years; we also saw the same situation in Iraq."
He further admitted that there is no sign of the end of hostilities in the short term, "because the Iranians are obviously stronger than expected".
It is worth noting that this judgment has formed a clear shift from Merz's previous position. It is reported that Merz initially defended the US-Israeli attacks on Iran and stated that "now is not the time to teach Washington a lesson", but as the economic spillover effects of the conflict continue to ferment and gradually evolve into a domestic political crisis in Germany, his critical stance has gradually become clear.
On the issues of energy security and military deployment, Merz reaffirmed Germany's position of limited participation. He said that the Berlin side is prepared to send minesweepers to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz under the international framework, but the prerequisite is that a ceasefire agreement must first be reached.
This statement continues Germany's previous cautious stance in the Iran conflict. Earlier, the Trump administration sought to involve NATO in actions to ensure the security of the Strait of Hormuz, which Germany clearly resisted. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius even stated bluntly that the Iran conflict "is not our war".
However, Merz later added that the Middle East crisis should not become a "stress test" for transatlantic relations, trying to strike a balance between criticizing the United States and maintaining allied relations.
Economic Costs Continue to Accumulate, Germany's Growth Forecast Halved
The economic spillover effects of the Iran-related conflict have had a direct and obvious impact on the German economy.
Relevant media reports show that the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action was forced to lower its economic growth forecast for this year to 0.5% last week, which is half of the previous forecast. The core reason is that the Iran conflict has pushed up global energy costs and disrupted the global oil and gas supply order.
Merz admitted that this conflict "has cost us a lot of money, a lot of taxpayers' money, and a lot of Germany's economic strength". Although the German government has launched a large-scale public expenditure plan for infrastructure construction and military equipment upgrading, the German economy still faces the risk of stagnation for the fourth consecutive year.
To alleviate the impact of rising fuel prices on ordinary households, the coalition government led by Merz finally reached a short-term relief package of 1.6 billion euros this month after weeks of internal disputes.
However, the political pressure cannot be ignored. The latest poll data shows that the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is benefiting from this conflict, with its approval rating rising to 27%, surpassing the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) led by Merz, bringing considerable governance pressure to the current German government.
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