German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has expressed concerns about the ongoing U.S. military operations in the Middle East, stating that there is no plan for a swift and convincing conclusion of the conflict. This comes a week after the US and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran, which sparked retaliations from the Iranian military. President Trump has indicated that conflict could be over "very soon", but did not provide further details. Merz had previously criticized the strikes at their inception, joining leaders of France and the United Kingdom in a joint letter urging the countries to cease military operations and return to the negotiation table.