Germany’s Merz recalibrates stance on Trump amid Iran conflict

Chancellor Friedrich Merz is dialing back his earlier rapprochement with Donald Trump over the Iran war, insisting Germany will not participate militarily or in naval escorts and that the crisis isn’t NATO’s to wage. Berlin seeks diplomatic solutions and warns the conflict could hit Europe’s security and energy supply. Merz faces a double bind: he wants to maintain sanctions on Russia while public opinion and rising energy prices press for restraint. The Ifo Institute estimates Germany’s growth could be 0.2–0.8 percentage points lower if the war ends soon (0.4 pp slower if it lasts longer), intensifying pressure ahead of eastern state elections where AfD gains loom.