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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday voiced strong support for Israel’s military campaign against Iran, who also continues its strikes against civilian Palestinians, calling it “the dirty work Israel is doing for all of us.”
Speaking on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada, Merz told ZDF broadcaster: “We are also victims of this regime. This mullah regime has brought death and destruction to the world.”
In a separate interview with Welt TV, Merz suggested that Israel’s airstrikes on Iran may have already weakened the country’s leadership.
“I assume that the attacks of the last few days have already weakened the mullah regime considerably and that it is unlikely to return to its former strength, making the future of the country uncertain,” he said. “To be honest, I can hardly imagine the mullah regime returning to its old functions. Large parts of the military leadership and the so-called Revolutionary Guards are no longer alive, so things will not be the same as they were.”
Asked whether the United States could join the campaign against Iran, Merz said Washington had not yet made a decision.
“It now depends very much on how far the mullah regime is prepared to return to the negotiating table,” he said. “If not, there could be further developments of this kind.”
Israel launched a surprise aerial campaign on Friday (June 13), targeting military and nuclear sites across Iran. Israeli officials said the strikes aimed to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suggested broader objectives, saying on Monday that Israel was “changing the face of the Middle East” and that its military campaign could trigger “radical changes” in Iran.
Iran, ruled by a clerical regime since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, has long faced Western accusations of human rights abuses and suppression of dissent.
The G7 leaders on Monday called for de-escalation in the region while affirming Israel’s right to self-defense and stressing the need to protect civilians on both sides.
Since Friday, at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds injured in Iranian missile attacks. Iranian officials said at least 224 people have been killed and more than 1,000 wounded in the Israeli assault.
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