German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that he does not believe the war in Iran will end quickly and says he still sees no coherent U.S. strategy for peace negotiations.

Axar.az reports, citing Welt, that Merz made the remarks during a discussion with students in Marsberg, Germany.

“I don’t think the Americans can end the war in Iran quickly,” he added: “Because the Iranians are apparently stronger than expected, and the Americans also don’t seem to have a truly convincing strategy in the negotiations.”

He added: “The problem with such conflicts is always that you don’t just get involved—you also have to get out again. We saw that very painfully in Afghanistan over 20 years. We saw it in Iraq.”

Merz criticised Washington’s approach, saying the United States had entered the conflict “quite obviously without any strategy,” making it even more difficult to bring it to an end. “Especially since the Iranians are either negotiating very skillfully—or very skillfully not negotiating,” he said. “A whole nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership.”

“It is currently a very complicated situation,” the chancellor added. “And it is costing us a lot of money. This conflict, this war against Iran, has a direct impact on our economic output.”

Germany, he said, remains willing to offer assistance, including mine-clearing ships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil shipping route—provided that active hostilities end first.

Merz made the remarks during a school visit as part of an EU project day aimed at raising awareness of European politics among students.