OAN Staff Lillian Mann
7:30 PM – Tuesday, April 28, 2026
In a departure from his previous stance, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz leveled criticism at President Donald Trump’s “management” of the Iran conflict on Tuesday, labeling the current stalemate “humiliating” for the United States.
Although Merz initially championed Operation Epic Fury — echoing Washington’s calls for regime change following Tehran’s violent killings suppression of domestic protesters — his tone has now notably shifted.
The German chancellor now argues that the Iranian regime has proven “clearly stronger than expected,” attempting to cast doubt on the efficacy of the ongoing U.S. military presence. Merz specifically targeted what he views as a repetitive and fruitless cycle of diplomacy, detailing instances where U.S. officials engaged in high-level talks only to depart without securing concrete solutions.
This switch-up suggests a growing impatience in Berlin with a strategy that Merz implies is lacking both a clear exit path and a realistic assessment of Tehran’s resilience.
“The Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating, or rather, very skillful at not negotiating, letting the Americans travel to Islamabad and then leave again without any result,” The German chancellor stated.
“The Iranians are clearly stronger than expected, and the Americans clearly have no truly convincing strategy in the negotiations either,” Merz said during a school visit in Marsberg, a town in his home region of Sauerland. “An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards. And so I hope that this ends as quickly as possible.”
Merz also referred to the ongoing conflict as “a pretty tangled situation” that is “costing us a great deal of money.”
In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump accused Merz of being overly soft on Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The president also argued that Merz “thinks it’s okay for Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” adding that he “doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
While Merz initially supported the pressure campaign to counter Tehran’s domestic crackdowns, Berlin has since joined other European governments in refusing direct participation in the maritime blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
In contrast, President Trump has doubled down on his “maximum pressure” doctrine, prioritizing American security and global stability through a rigorous enforcement of the naval blockade.
The Trump administration remains steadfast in its mission to choke off Iran’s oil revenue, viewing the strategy as the only effective means to dismantle Tehran’s ability to fund regional instability and advance its nuclear program.
Meanwhile, this divergence has also significantly deepened the rift within NATO. While “soft” European officials push for “soft agreements” and diplomatic de-escalation, Trump has framed his unilateral military and economic tactics as a necessary form of “tough love” to force allies to pull their own weight.
Trump continues to criticize allied hesitation, arguing that only decisive, unified strength will compel Tehran to make meaningful concessions. On Tuesday, the president posted on Truth Social explaining that Tehran “has just informed us that they are in a ‘State of Collapse.’”
“They want us to ‘Open the Hormuz Strait,’ as soon as possible, as they try to figure out their leadership situation (Which I believe they will be able to do!),” he added in the post.
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