According to a report by Reuters on Monday, April 27, 2026, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has sharply criticised the United States’ handling of ongoing negotiations with Iran, warning that Washington risks being “humiliated” as efforts to bring the conflict to an end continue to falter.
Speaking candidly during an interaction with students at a secondary school in western Germany, Merz questioned the strategic direction of the US under President Donald Trump, saying it remained unclear how Washington intended to exit the crisis.
“I don’t see what strategic exit the Americans are now choosing,” Merz said, adding that Iranian negotiators appeared to be outmanoeuvring their US counterparts. According to him, Tehran’s representatives were acting “very skilfully, or indeed very skilfully not negotiating,” a situation he argued has left the US in a weakened position.
The German leader went further, stating that “an entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership,” pointing specifically to the influence of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in shaping the country’s stance during the talks.
Merz’s remarks mark a notable shift in tone, particularly given his recent efforts to maintain diplomatic engagement with Trump. The two leaders had met at the White House in March, where discussions were described as cordial. However, the German chancellor appears to have grown increasingly frustrated as the conflict drags on and its consequences ripple across Europe.
He revealed that neither Germany nor other European allies were consulted ahead of the joint US-Israeli military action against Iran launched on February 28. Merz said he had raised his concerns directly with Trump during two separate conversations, expressing scepticism about the trajectory of the campaign.
“If I had known that this would go on for five or six weeks and keep getting worse, I would have made my point to him even more forcefully,” he told the students in Marsberg, his home district.
Drawing lessons from past conflicts, including US-led interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq, Merz stressed that the real challenge often lies not in initiating military action but in bringing such wars to a sustainable conclusion.
“In that respect, I hope this comes to an end as soon as possible,” he said, while cautioning that there was currently no clear or immediate path to peace.
The chancellor also highlighted the growing economic toll of the conflict on Germany, Europe’s largest economy. Rising fuel prices and broader economic pressures, he noted, are already being felt domestically.
“This war against Iran has a direct impact on our economic performance and must therefore be brought to an end as soon as possible,” Merz added.
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