Die deutsche Bundeskanzlerin sagt, die USA würden „von der iranischen Führung gedemütigt“, während ihre Verbündeten ihre Unzufriedenheit öffentlich zum Ausdruck bringen

As the Iran war, a conflict President Donald Trump vowed would last [no more than](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/02/trump-war-iran) six weeks, now stretches past its second month, U.S. allies are increasingly going public with their discontent.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is one of the latest to air out his concerns. In a [speech](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGM6DWj7C54) Monday, the chancellor said Iran is embarrassing the U.S. on a global stage. 

“An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership,” he said in a speech to students at an educational center in Marsberg, “especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards. And so I hope that this ends as quickly as possible.” 

As the conflict marches on and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, countries in Europe and Asia are particularly vulnerable to the economic fallout of the strait’s closure. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday the European Union has spent an extra €25 billion (nearly $29.3 billion) on energy resources since the start of the war. And earlier this month, Vanguard revised their 2026 headline inflation forecast for Europe upward to 2.5% from 1.8% and warned of stagflation if the conflict persists.

“Sharply higher energy prices stemming from tensions in the Middle East risk a significant stagflationary shock to the European economy,” Vanguard senior economist Shaan Raithatha said in a note.

Read more: [https://fortune.com/2026/04/28/friedrich-merz-iran-humiliates-us-donald-trump-strait-of-hormuz/](https://fortune.com/2026/04/28/friedrich-merz-iran-humiliates-us-donald-trump-strait-of-hormuz/)