German Chancellor: The United States is being "humiliated" by Iran, and there is no sign yet of a U.S. exit strategy in the Iran war.

The military actions of the United States and Israel against Iran are provoking open doubts from European allies. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz bluntly stated that the US is being "humiliated" by Iran, and has neither an overall strategy nor a clear exit route in this conflict.

According to CCTV News, on April 27 local time, Chancellor Merz expressed a series of views on the Iran situation during an exchange with students in North Rhine-Westphalia. He made it clear that currently "there is no visible US exit strategy in the Iran war", and pointed out that the US "clearly entered this conflict lacking an overall strategy," making the aftermath more difficult to resolve.

According to the Financial Times, Merz further criticized that Washington also "does not have a truly convincing strategy" in negotiations, while the Iranians "are obviously skilled negotiators—or, simply very adept at refusing negotiations altogether."

He stated strongly that "the whole country is being humiliated by Iran’s leadership." Analysts pointed out that such remarks from a European leader long considered a staunch Atlanticist reflect Europe's growing dissatisfaction with the conflict.

"Easy to go in, hard to get out"—Lessons of Afghanistan and Iraq

According to CCTV News, when discussing the Iran conflict, Merz stated that the US "has not formed a truly persuasive strategy" in related conflicts and negotiations and believes that Iran is "obviously more forceful than expected." He described the current situation as "quite complex," and noted that the conflict is already directly impacting economic operations.

According to reports, Merz referred to historical lessons when discussing the deeper dilemmas of the conflict. "The issue with these types of conflicts is always the same: you not only have to go in, but you also need to be able to get out," he said. "We saw this painfully in Afghanistan, for 20 years; we saw it in Iraq as well."

He stated that there are no signs that hostilities will end in the short term, "because the Iranians are obviously more forceful than expected."

According to reports, this assessment marks a clear shift from his previous position—Merz initially defended US and Israeli attacks on Iran, stating "now is not the time to lecture Washington," but as the economic impact of the conflict continues to spread and evolves into a domestic political crisis, his criticism has become more pronounced.

On energy security and military deployment, Merz reiterated Germany’s limited involvement stance. He stated that Berlin is ready to send minesweepers to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz within an international framework, but only if a ceasefire agreement is reached first.

This statement continues Germany's previous cautious approach. Previously, Trump had sought to involve NATO in securing the Strait of Hormuz, which Germany resisted, and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius even bluntly stated that the Iran conflict is "not our war."

Nevertheless, Merz also stated that the Middle East crisis should not become a "stress test" for transatlantic relations, trying to balance criticism with maintaining ally relationships.

The Economic Cost Continues to Accumulate—German Growth Forecast Halved

The economic spillover effects of the Iran war have delivered direct shocks to Germany.

According to the Financial Times, the German Economy Ministry was forced last week to lower this year’s growth forecast to 0.5%, halving the previous expectation, with the cause pointing directly to the Iran war, which pushed up energy costs and disrupted global oil and gas supplies.

Merz admitted that this conflict "costs us a lot of money, costs a lot of taxpayer money, and costs a lot of economic strength." Even though Germany has launched large-scale public spending plans for infrastructure and military upgrades, the economy still faces a risk of stagnation for a fourth consecutive year.

To ease the impact of rising fuel prices on households, Merz’s coalition government, after weeks of internal disputes, finally reached a short-term bailout plan of 1.6 billion euros this month.

However, the political pressure is also notable—polls show that the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is benefiting from the war, with its support rising to 27%, surpassing Merz’s CDU.

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