WASHINGTON, March 4. /TASS/. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he is not sure that military strikes on Iran can bring about political change in the country.
"We don't yet know whether the [US] plan will succeed, whether military strikes from outside will lead to political change inside," he told reporters during a visit to Washington. "This plan carries risks, and we will also have to deal with its consequences," Merz added. "That is why, during my conversation with [US President] Donald Trump, I said that a number of questions remain," the German chancellor noted.
"We should also think about the day that will come after that," the chancellor said, calling for the development of a strategy for the future of Iran and the region, one in which "all neighbors, without exception, recognize Israel’s right to exist and live safely."
The United States and Israel launched a large-scale military operation against Iran on February 28. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, were struck. The White House justified the attack by citing alleged missile and nuclear threats from Iran. At the same time, US leadership openly called on the Iranian population to rise up against their government and seize power.
As a result of the strikes, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several other senior figures in the leadership of the Islamic Republic were killed.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a retaliatory operation, targeting sites in Israel. US military bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia were also hit.