German chancellor criticizes US, Israeli military strategy in Iran

- US President Trump has understood that Iran war is not NATO’s war, German leader notes

BERLIN

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday questioned the effectiveness of the US and Israeli military campaign in Iran.

“I'm just not convinced that what Israel and the US are doing right now will actually succeed,” he said during a conference of the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper in Frankfurt.

“I have serious doubts about whether there is a strategy and whether that strategy is being implemented successfully. In that regard, it could take longer, and things probably won't improve,” he added.

Merz said Americans and Israelis “are becoming more deeply entangled in this conflict every day.”

He warned that the US and Israel would not be able to achieve regime change, if that is their objective.

The chancellor also said US President Donald Trump has understood that the Iran war is not NATO’s war.

“I believe that at least the US government — and probably the president as well — has now accepted that we cannot support this. But we have, of course, offered to organize, for example, military protection of the Strait of Hormuz together with others in the event of a ceasefire,” Merz said.

“This requires an international mandate. It requires approval from the German Bundestag (parliament) and a prior cabinet decision. We are far from that, and as long as the war continues, it is not an option for us either,” he added.

Hostilities have escalated since US-Israeli strikes on Iran began on Feb. 28.

Iran has retaliated with repeated drone and missile strikes targeting Israel and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.