Merz Shifts Stance on Iran War, Seeks Peace

0:00On March 15, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz started out strongly backing U.S. President Donald Trump's aims in the war against Iran. Just last week in Washington, he voiced full alignment on pushing for regime change in Tehran. But now, with clearer fallout hitting Germany, he's dialing back that enthusiasm. Earlier this week, Merz highlighted spiking energy costs and risks of mass migration as major worries for Europe's biggest economy. He also questioned whether the U.S. and Israel have any real plan to wrap up the fighting in the Persian Gulf, calling for an end to what could drag on endlessly. Other European leaders like Francis Emanuel Macron, and Spain's Pedro Sanchez slammed the strikes as against international law, leaving Merz somewhat. Isolated at first, now, pressure from his own coalition partners and EU lawmakers is pushing him toward a more critical stance, with even Italy's Georgia Maloney joining. The chorus of concern Merz drew a line Friday by knocking the U.S. move to loosen oil

1:04sanctions on Russia, warning it might help Moscow keep up its invasion of Ukraine. Economists say the conflict is crushing Germany's manufacturing and growth hopes, while studies predict a big wave of Iranian refugees heading, straight for Berlin. Everybody plans to team up with group of seven allies in Israel on diplomatic pushes to halt the war, stressing Berlin wants no part in the fight, and every focus on peace.