On his second visit to Washington, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met President Donald Trump on Tuesday (March 3, 2026). The talks focused on the Iran war, efforts to end the war in Ukraine, tariffs, and transatlantic relations.

• Merz clarified that Germany has not received any formal request from the US or Israel to provide military support for strikes against Iran.

• He stressed that under the German constitution, deployment of armed forces abroad is only permitted for national defense or collective security frameworks such as NATO, and requires parliamentary approval.

• He noted that this constitutional issue took only about two minutes of discussion.

• Merz reiterated that Germany will not participate militarily in the strikes; German forces in the region are authorized to use force only in self-defense if bases are attacked.

• The White House meeting was described as positive, with broad agreement on many issues.

Sources – Agencies