German Chancellor Friedrich Merz
“Very skilled at not negotiating.” In an unusually harsh criticism of the development of the conflict, the German Chancellor says that the Iranian leadership is humiliating the USA, and making the Americans go to Pakistan and then return without any results.
The German Chancellor, Friedrich Merzsaid this Monday, during a lecture to students in Marsberg, in the north of the country, that even though I didn’t see what the exit strategy was that the US was pursuing war with Iran.
The chancellor’s comments highlight the deep divisions between Washington and its European allies in NATO, already aggravated by differences over Ukraine and other issues, notes the agency.
“The Iranians are, evidently, very skilled at negotiating, or rather, very skills not to negotiatemaking the Americans go to Islamabad and then leave again without any results”,
“An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by the so-called Revolutionary Guards. And so I hope this ends as quickly as possible,” added Merz at the event, which took place in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The American president Donald Trump harshly criticized NATO allies for do not send their navies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict.
The sea route, one of the most important trade routes in the world, has been practically closedcausing market turmoil and unprecedented disruptions to energy supplies.
Merz reiterated that the Germans and Europeans were not consulted before the United States and Israel began attacking Iran on February 28, and that directly conveyed his skepticism to Trump shortly after the outbreak of hostilities.
“If I had known this would continue like this for five or six weeks and get progressively worse, I would have said it even more vehemently“, stated Merz, who compared the situation with previous US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
According to Merz, it is clear that the Strait has been at least partially mined. “We also offered, as Europeans, to send German minesweepers to clear the strait, which was, of course, partially mined “, he declared.
As hopes of relaunching peace efforts have receded after Donald Trump canceled, on Saturday, the trip of his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Islamabad, the Pakistani capital.
The Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchitraveled to Russia this Monday, after the failure of talks in Pakistan and Oman.
