The rhetorical exchange between the American president and the German chancellor raised the volume to unusual decibels, with Merz ensuring that the Iranian leadership is "humiliating an entire nation" by manipulating the return to negotiations, and Trump responding that "no wonder Germany is doing so badly" and twisting his counterpart's words. The rift between the United States and its NATO allies looks increasingly difficult to repair.

First modification: 04/29/2026 - 00:50

Donald Trump and Friedrich Merz have once again engaged in a public exchange. Confronted by the position on Ukraine, by the spending of European countries on defense and by the refusal of NATO allies to join the war against Iran, they now also differ on peace negotiations with the Islamic Republic.

Neither of them has spared criticism in this latest confrontation, which began with statements by the German Chancellor on April 27, during a talk to students at a school in Marsberg in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Merz referred to the way in which, in his opinion, the Iranian side has kept the pulse of the peace negotiations.

"The Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating, or rather, very skilled at not negotiating, letting the Americans travel to Islamabad and then leave again without any results," Merz said.

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He then added that "an entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards. So I hope this ends as soon as possible."

Merz then recalled that European countries had not been consulted before the start of hostilities by Israel and the United States on February 28, and that he made his reservations about the offensive known to Trump from the beginning.

"If I had known that this would continue like this for five or six weeks and would get progressively worse, I would have told him even more emphatically," added the German leader, who compared the handling of this conflict with that of others such as Iraq and Afghanistan, in which, in his opinion, the same lack of clarity was experienced.

"I don't see a clear strategy. In a conflict you not only have to enter, but you have to enter and you have to know how to get out. We saw what happens when this is not taken into account in Afghanistan, Iraq and now in Iran."

Finally, he emphasized the consequences that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has had for his country and its consequent impact on the cost of energy:

“This is costing Germany a lot of money, a lot of taxpayer money and a lot of economic strength.”

Shortly afterwards, on the same day, during a meeting of the parliamentary groups of the Bavarian Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU) in Berlin, he confessed to feeling “disillusioned” by the lack of commitment to a solution.

"As far as Iran is concerned, I feel disappointed, and simply because the United States and Israel were assuming that the problem would be resolved in a few days and today we have to confirm that this is not the case," he said.

“He doesn't know what he's talking about.”

True to his style, the American president reacted this Tuesday to Merz's criticism by distorting his words and stating in a publication on his Truth Social network that the German chancellor "agrees" with Iran having a nuclear weapon.

"You don't know what you're talking about! If Iran had a nuclear weapon, the entire world would be kidnapped. I'm doing something with Iran, right now, that other nations, or presidents, should have done a long time ago," the Republican magnate complained.

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He then added that Merz's position was illuminating about the current situation in Germany:

“No wonder Germany is in such bad shape, both economically and otherwise!”

He did not respond, however, to Merz's underlying allegations about the lack of strategy of allies the United States and Israel in relation to the conflict, nor about the way in which Iranian diplomacy has flouted the efforts of Islamabad and Washington for a new meeting to address the end of hostilities.

Further and further away

Monday's comments mark a new chapter in Merz's growing distance from Trump, which has only deepened of late.

The two have differed over Ukraine, which continues to enjoy the unrestricted support of the German chancellor and key European NATO allies, while Trump has put increasing pressure on President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept Moscow's conditions that would mark the end of the war.

They also clashed over European defense spending, which for Trump is a reflection of the disproportionate weight that NATO places on the American contribution, over Washington's claims over Greenland and, more recently, over the refusal of the leaders of the Atlantic Alliance to join the efforts to open the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump has repeatedly assured that Iran's closure of the important sea route, through which 20% of the world's oil circulates, does not affect the United States, which is a producer and receives its imports through routes that do not include the strait, and that Europe should be the most committed to achieving the reopening.

However, Berlin, London, Paris and Rome have agreed on their common position of not being “dragged into war,” as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer defined it, although in his statements on Monday, Merz offered, on behalf of Europe, “to send German minesweepers to clear the strait.”

The estrangement between Merz and Trump has had nuances, because the German chancellor was initially one of the few voices within NATO that supported US actions in Iran, stating during the Twelve Day War, in 2025, that Washington was doing the "dirty work" for the Europeans.

He also praised Trump's work in seeking a peace agreement for Gaza and gave him recognition "for the peace initiative, his commitment and unequivocal position in this conflict, as well as the partners in Qatar, Egypt and Turkey for their mediation," as indicated in a statement from the federal government on December 8, 2025.

But the days of compromise appear to be over for Washington and Berlin, with increasingly high-sounding rhetorical exchanges and geopolitical positions that apparently no longer include their former friendship.

With Reuters and EFE

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