German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on the 13th of January that Iran’s clerical leadership is in ruins and that the regime in Tehran can no longer survive without violence, Politico reports.
During a visit to India, Merz told reporters that if the regime can only stay in power by using force, then it is the end of the regime: “I assume that we are now witnessing the final days and weeks of this regime.”
He added that he hopes that this conflict can be ended peacefully, adding that the clerical regime must also recognize this.
The German chancellor’s remarks follow more than two weeks of protests in Iran, which were sparked by the country’s poor economic situation. According to the Norwegian human rights group IHR,
the regime in Tehran, led by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has killed more than 600 protesters
and arrested more than 10,000 in its efforts to suppress the demonstrations.
Merz, along with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, issued a joint statement on the 9th of January condemning the crackdown on the protests. The statement said European leaders were alarmed by the violence by Iranian security forces and strongly condemned the killings of protesters.
European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas said on the 12th of January that she would call for tougher sanctions on Iran.
In Germany, Merz’s conservative forces have long called for the EU to list Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has announced a 25% import tariff on countries that continue to do business with Iran.
Read also: US considers military intervention in Iran; Trump to hit new tariffs on Tehran’s trade partners