The German chancellor expressed concern that there’s no “common plan for bringing this war to a swift and convincing conclusion.”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Tuesday that he is increasingly worried about the apparent lack of a strategy by the U.S. and Israel for winding down their war on Iran.

“With each day of war, more questions arise. What concerns us most is that there is clearly no common plan for bringing this war to a swift and convincing conclusion,” Merz said, speaking alongside Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš in Berlin. “We have no interest in an endless war,” the chancellor added.

Merz’s comments come as the U.S. and Israel continue to strike Iran, while Tehran has responded by striking Arab Gulf countries. The spiraling regional conflict is roiling global energy markets, raising concerns across Europe of the kind of inflationary spiral seen after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

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