German Chancellor Tries to Ease Tensions with Trump: 'We Are Still on Good Terms'

(Patria) - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz yesterday attempted to ease tensions with US President Donald Trump, emphasizing that their relationship remains strong despite sharp public controversy over the war in Iran, writes Politico.

- My personal relationship with the US President, in my opinion, remains as good as ever. We are still, to use an American expression, on good terms - Merz stated at a press conference.

The Chancellor framed his recent criticism of the conflict in the Middle East as a reaction to the consequences of the war, not to Trump's leadership.

- In Germany and Europe, we suffer significantly from the consequences... of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz - Merz said, pointing to rising energy costs and economic pressure.

This conciliatory tone followed Trump's direct attack on Merz late Tuesday.

"German Chancellor Friedrich Merz thinks it is okay for Iran to have nuclear weapons. He doesn't know what he's talking about," Trump wrote on the social network Truth Social.

He warned that a nuclear-armed Iran would hold "the entire world... hostage," before commenting on the German economy: "No wonder Germany is doing so poorly, economically and in every other way."

Merz's attempt to stabilize the relationship comes after he previously hardened his stance towards Washington.

When the war began on February 28, the Chancellor largely supported American objectives, but as the conflict dragged on, his tone changed.

On Monday, during a visit to a school in western Germany, he said that Iran was "humiliating" the US and that America had entered the war without a viable exit strategy, comparing the situation to previous problems in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Merz also complained that the conflict was harming the German economy, saying it was "costing us a lot of money."

Berlin has also responded at an operational level. Germany has rejected US calls for transatlantic military involvement, insisting that the conflict is "not a NATO war," and has only offered a limited role - including sending minesweepers to secure the Strait of Hormuz - after the fighting ends.