German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Iran has humiliated the US during the negotiating process. The US and Iran have held a round of talks and exchanged messages through Pakistan, but have been unable to reach an agreement.
“The Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating, or rather, very skilful at not negotiating, letting the Americans travel to Islamabad and then leave again without any result,” the German leader said Monday. “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.”
The US and Israel launched an aggressive war against Iran in February. Iran responded by seizing control of the Strait of Hormuz and attacking countries that host US military bases. After several weeks of fighting, Pakistan brokered a truce between the US, Israel, and Iran.
The truce was intended to provide the necessary environment for Washington and Tehran to negotiate an end to the war in Islamabad. However, after one round of in-person discussions, talks collapsed. Pakistan has continued to relay messages between the US and Iran, but the two sides do not appear to be budging on key issues.
President Donald Trump is seeking a near-complete surrender from Iran, including Tehran giving up the Strait of Hormuz and its nuclear enrichment program. Tehran is demanding war reparations from Washington and Tel Aviv, recognition of Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz, and a pledge from the US and Israel not to attack again.
The ceasefire between the US and Iran could collapse at any time. Tel Aviv is pushing for Washington to give the green light to restart the war. Additionally, the shipping war between the US and Iran is escalating.
