Merz warns US is trapped in Iran conflict with no clear exit strategy

ALBAWABA- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that the United States appears trapped in its confrontation with Iran and lacks a clear strategy for ending the conflict, warning that Tehran’s leadership is effectively “humiliating” Washington through its handling of the crisis.

Speaking to students in Marsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Merz said he could not see a viable US exit strategy, adding that Iran had proven “clearly stronger than expected” and was managing negotiations, or its refusal to negotiate, with considerable skill.

He compared the current situation to prolonged US military engagements in Afghanistan and Iraq, cautioning that another drawn-out conflict could further destabilize the Middle East while carrying serious economic consequences for Germany and Europe.

Merz’s remarks came as indirect US-Iran talks, mediated by Pakistan, remained stalled despite a fragile two-week ceasefire first agreed on April 8 and later extended. The truce has allowed limited shipping to resume through the Strait of Hormuz but has failed to produce a lasting settlement after hostilities erupted following US-Israeli strikes in late February.

Iran has submitted a 10-point proposal that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz under Iranian coordination, a complete halt to regional conflicts, the lifting of all primary and secondary US sanctions, the release of frozen Iranian assets, and compensation for reconstruction.

Tehran has indicated that discussions on its nuclear programme would only come at a later stage, after sanctions relief and broader regional de-escalation are secured.

The White House confirmed receiving the Iranian proposal, with President Donald Trump describing parts of it as a “workable basis” for negotiations. However, US officials stressed that diplomacy would not be conducted publicly.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Washington would respond in due course while continuing economic and naval pressure on Iran. Key disputes remain unresolved, particularly over uranium enrichment, ballistic missile capabilities, and the sequencing of sanctions relief.

In a recent extended interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes, Trump dismissed claims that Tehran’s nuclear capabilities had been completely destroyed, acknowledging that Iran still retained significant enriched uranium stockpiles.

 He said military action alone could not deliver a lasting solution and signaled openness to sanctions relief in exchange for verifiable concessions, while insisting there would be “no enrichment of uranium” in any final agreement.