Overview
- President Trump hosted Chancellor Friedrich Merz for talks dominated by U.S.–Israeli strikes that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and roiled global trade and travel.
- Merz said Berlin and Washington share a goal of removing Iran’s ruling regime and discussing “the day after,” as Trump also highlighted trade as a topic for discussion.
- Trump said U.S. forces are using German locations for landings and stressed that Washington is not asking Germany to deploy troops.
- Merz pressed for stronger pressure on Russia over Ukraine and for predictability on tariffs after the Supreme Court invalidated Trump’s emergency tariff powers.
- European officials warned that the Iran campaign could drain attention and munitions from Ukraine, citing strains on Patriot interceptors and industrial capacity.