Germany has signaled support for tougher action on Tehran while Trump has clashed with the UK and Spain over Iran.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, with the U.S. president saying Berlin is aligned with Washington on the Iran War.
“We are on the same page in terms of getting this terrible regime in Tehran away,” the German leader said during the meeting on March 3.
Major attacks by the United States and Israel were launched on Iran on Feb. 28 after U.S.–Iran nuclear talks ended without a breakthrough. Trump signaled that the U.S.–Israel military assault on Iranian targets could continue for weeks.
Merz, who has emerged as one of Europe’s more hawkish voices on Iran, also thanked the United States for what he described as the close cooperation between the two allies during a period of heightened global tensions.
“Tough times call for strong partnerships,” he said in a March 3 post on X following the talks.
The German chancellor added that Iran’s regional activities pose a direct threat to Western nations and their allies.
“Iran spreads terror, which endangers our partners and us,” Merz said. “We share the interest that all of this comes to an end.”
The meeting comes as the conflict between Iran and the U.S.–Israel alliance continues to escalate after joint military operations targeted Iranian facilities and military infrastructure.
Europe is mixed in its support.
Trump has criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and warned that the historic U.S.–UK Special Relationship is under strain.
“He has not been helpful. I never thought I‘d see that. I never thought I’d see that from the UK,” Trump told British newspaper The Sun on March 3.
Trump said he never expected to see the once “most solid of all” alliances in such difficulty. The Special Relationship between the UK and the United States dates back to the end of World War II and the early Cold War period.
By Owen Evans
