German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he left a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump with unanswered questions about how the situation in Iran could evolve after the war.
Speaking in an interview with German broadcaster ZDF following talks at the White House on Tuesday, Merz described the discussion as “very open” but said key issues remained unclear.
“What is actually your strategy for the day after? Is there a vision for how this country will be governed afterwards?” Merz asked, noting what he described as a “relatively high degree of uncertainty.”
He added that both leaders discussed the legal and political basis for the intervention in Iran. According to Merz, diplomatic efforts with Tehran have spanned decades.
“There has been no lack of diplomacy. But there has been a lack of willingness to cooperate on the part of Iran and developments towards a nuclear weapon have progressed very far. At some point you also have to say stop,” he said.
Trump hosted Merz for a bilateral meeting at the White House, marking their second such engagement since the German chancellor took office.