U.S. is 'being humiliated by Iran,' says Germany's Merz, as Europe's patience wanes

The comments were unexpected, but at least partially reflect frustration that the Iran conflict is undermining Merz's government's efforts to bolster Germany's flagging economy. Merz, like other European leaders, has faced criticism from President Donald Trump for a reluctance to participate in the war. Europe, already dealing with a four-year conflict on its doorstep in Ukraine, sees the military operation as a war of choice that they were not consulted on beforehand.Leaders are also worried that the U.S. has underestimated the resilience of the Iranian regime, which is underpinned by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and fear the war could turn into another so-called "forever war" in the Middle East."The problem with conflicts like these is always the same," Merz noted Monday: "It's not just about getting in; you also have to get out. We saw that all too painfully in Afghanistan, for 20 years. We saw it in Iraq."

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