Trump Tells German Chancellor Merz Iran’s Military Has Been “Knocked Out,” Warns of Further Pain for Tehran

Washington, March 2026 : US President Donald Trump on Tuesday welcomed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to the Oval Office and projected the ongoing US-led military campaign against Iran as decisive, far-reaching and overwhelming. Framing the operation as a near-total dismantling of Tehran’s military capabilities, Trump said Iran’s leadership now faced “a lot of hurt” as the campaign intensified.

Seated alongside Vice President J. D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and senior cabinet officials, Trump praised Merz as “a very successful man” who was “doing a very good job” and enjoying strong public support at home. He said their discussions would cover key global issues, including trade relations, the war in Ukraine and the rapidly escalating confrontation with Iran.

Addressing the Iran conflict at length, Trump described what he called a sweeping military blow delivered by US and allied forces. “They have no navy; it’s been knocked out. They have no air force; it’s been knocked out. They have no air detection; that’s been knocked out. Their radar has been knocked out,” he said, asserting that Iran’s core military infrastructure had been neutralised. “We have a great military, and they’re doing a fantastic job,” he added.

Chancellor Merz indicated broad alignment with Washington’s position on Tehran, describing the Iranian leadership as a destabilising force. “We are on the same page in terms of getting this terrible regime in Tehran away,” he said, adding that the two leaders would also discuss the “day after” scenario and what political arrangements might follow if Iran’s current leadership were removed.

Responding to questions on whether Israel had pushed the United States into military action, Trump rejected the suggestion. “No, I might have forced their hand,” he said, claiming intelligence assessments and diplomatic engagements had convinced him that Iran was preparing to strike first. “It was my opinion that they were going to attack first,” Trump asserted, framing the campaign as pre-emptive.

The US President accused Iran of deliberately targeting civilians and neighbouring countries uninvolved in the conflict. “They hit countries that had nothing to do with what’s going on,” he said, describing such actions as evidence of “the level of evil that we’re dealing with.” Trump further alleged that Iranian attacks had focused on civilian locations such as hotels and apartment buildings, while claiming US strikes were aimed at military and leadership targets. “They’re going to be in for a lot of hurt. These are bad people,” he said.

Trump also made dramatic claims about internal unrest in Iran, stating that tens of thousands of protesters had been violently killed in recent weeks and that senior leadership figures had been eliminated in early strikes. He suggested further blows had been delivered to what he described as “new leadership,” though he did not provide verifiable details.

Turning to Ukraine, Merz stressed the shared desire among Western allies to see the war end swiftly, while underscoring Kyiv’s security concerns. “We all want to see this war coming to an end as soon as possible. But Ukraine has to preserve its territory and their security interests,” he said. Trump agreed that the conflict ranked high among his priorities, but emphasised the deep hostility between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, remarking that “tremendous hatred” complicated any resolution.

Germany remains one of Washington’s most important allies in Europe and a central pillar of NATO and European Union policymaking, working closely with the United States on security, sanctions and strategic coordination amid multiple global crises.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)