Trump Attacks Germany's Merz Over Iran Nuclear Negotiations

United States President Donald Trump launched a fresh public attack against German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over Germany's approach to the Iran nuclear file, escalating a transatlantic dispute that has been simmering since Trump's return to office. The criticism reflects deepening friction between Washington and its European allies on how to handle Iran's nuclear programme.

Trump has consistently pushed for a harder line against Tehran, favouring maximum pressure tactics and direct confrontation over the diplomatic engagement model preferred by European powers including Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. Merz, who took office earlier this year, has sought to maintain European coordination on Iran while navigating the complex relationship with an assertive US administration.

The public rebuke of a sitting German Chancellor is unusual even by Trump's standards and signals that Washington intends to press its European partners into alignment with its Iran policy rather than accommodate a European-led negotiating track. The dispute complicates efforts by the E3 grouping to maintain any independent diplomatic space on the Iran nuclear dossier.

For the broader international community, the clash between two major Western powers on Iran strategy risks fragmenting what had previously been a broadly unified Western position, potentially creating openings for Tehran to exploit diplomatic divisions as ongoing nuclear talks proceed.