BERLIN – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on April 29 that his personal relationship with US President Donald Trump remains intact despite a sharp public row over the Iran war, even as he again warned that the conflict is weighing heavily on Germany’s and Europe’s economies. Speaking to reporters in Berlin, Merz stressed that his concerns about the military campaign had been clear from the outset, but he insisted that dialogue between Washington and Berlin continues.
From my perspective, my personal relationship with the US President remains good. I simply had doubts from the start about what was begun with the war in Iran,” Merz said. “In Germany and Europe we are suffering from the consequences, such as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. This has a direct impact on our energy supply and a huge impact on our economic performance.” He added that the standoff underscores deeper rifts between the Trump administration and its European NATO partners on Iran and the Ukraine conflict.
The tensions escalated on April 28, when Trump posted a social media attack accusing Merz of thinking it was “OK” for Iran to have a nuclear weapon and claiming he “didn’t know what he was talking about.” Merz has repeatedly rejected that characterization, reiterating that “Iran must not have a nuclear weapon.” The exchange followed Merz’s criticism on April 27, when he said Iran’s leadership was “humiliating” the United States by drawing US officials to inconclusive peace talks in Pakistan and then walking away, while questioning Washington’s exit strategy.
Trump has also lashed out at NATO allies, accusing them of failing to send naval forces to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed since early March. The blockade has disrupted global energy flows and triggered market volatility. Although a ceasefire is in place in the US–Israeli war with Iran, the broader conflict remains deadlocked, with both sides seeking a formal and lasting end to hostilities.