German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized the US for entering the Iran conflict without a clear exit strategy and said Iran is stronger than expected and negotiating skillfully — effectively humiliating American leadership. Merz drew explicit parallels to the 20-year quagmire in Afghanistan and warned the war is costing Germany economically while talks stall, with Iran using tactics like summoning then rejecting US envoys. Germany has offered to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz with minesweepers but only if fighting stops first, signaling Berlin's frustration that no endgame exists. The criticism reflects broader European anxiety that the US entered a conflict without an exit plan — echoing the structural failures Merz sees repeating from Iraq and Afghanistan.