German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has demanded that Iran return to the negotiating table, stop playing for time, stop holding the region and the world hostage, permanently end its military nuclear program, and refrain from any attack against Israel and the West’s regional partners.
On the surface, none of this sounds especially controversial. The Islamic Republic has long used negotiations to buy time, threatened Middle East stability, and exploited tensions with the West as a tool for survival and leverage.
But the real issue in Merz’s remarks is not merely Iran.
