German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who previously said of Israel, “They are doing the dirty work (Drecksarbeit) for us in the region,” held a one-on-one meeting lasting hours with US President Trump at the White House on the fourth day of the US-Israeli coalition's attack on Iran. The result was full support for the “dirty work” to continue being carried out by the two countries.

According to Süddeutsche Zeitung, this third visit by Merz to the White House was planned during a visit before Christmas. In other words, the implication is that “there is no direct link between the meeting and the attack on Iran.”

However, the meeting was primarily dominated by Iran. Immediately after the bombing that began on 28 February and resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei, Merz made a statement on Sunday. After defining the US-Israeli attack as a “struggle against the terror regime in Iran,” he addressed internal criticisms regarding the violation of international law, stating: “Now is not the time to give lessons to our partners and allies. Because we share their goals, but we are not in a position to realise them ourselves” (Junge Welt, 04.03.2026).

The plain meaning of these words is nothing other than: “If we had the power, we would also resort to bombing for regime change like the US.” What is important and must be underlined here is the “sharing of the goals” of Israel and the US regarding the takeover of Iran. Once this is established, what remains is which method will be used to achieve it.

In the joint statement made by the leaders of Germany, France, and Britain on 1 March, full support was given to the US-Israel coalition as they were in agreement, while Iran was condemned on the grounds that it had violated “international law” due to the missiles it launched.

Looking at what has transpired over the past week, while the three major imperialist powers of Europe provide full support to the open banditry of the US-Israeli reaction—setting aside international law and UN charters—they have not yet become a direct part of the war.

Those with the intention of entering, however, are practically gnashing their teeth. Chief among them is NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. In a statement to the German primary television channel ARD, he said: “I told the US and Israel that we are ready to meet your needs for defensive purposes. Germany and France also gave a clear message on this matter. Even if Europe does not participate militarily, it is doing everything that needs to be done.”

Information reflecting from the open and closed meetings between Trump and Merz at the White House confirms Rutte, and it is understood that the level of joint action is quite high. Connecting from Washington to the main news on ARD, Merz said, “The meetings went very well,” while stating that a division of labour had been made between the US and Israel against Iran: the US is targeting military infrastructure and bunkers, while Israel is targeting general infrastructure. While Merz pointed out that the military operation is full of risks, he did not fail to ask the question, “What will happen next?”

The most striking aspect of this meeting was the exaggerated praise Trump heaped upon Merz. Speaking before cameras in the Oval Office, Trump told Merz: “We get along well, our countries get along very well. We love each other very much, the Chancellor is very well-received in Germany. He is a very, very successful man. His Chancellorship is a big deal, he is doing a great job.”

In the face of these complimentary words, Merz is beaming from ear to ear. Though he himself must be aware that much of it is exaggeration. For example, Merz is neither a very well-loved politician in Germany nor does he have a successful performance. According to polls, trust in the government established a year ago is at rock bottom.

In the same meeting, Merz’s failure to respond to Trump’s threatening words directed at Spain for not using its bases has been a subject of criticism in Europe for several days. Trump also criticised Britain for delaying the use of a US base.

In this situation, the reason why Trump praised Merz so much reveals itself. The US military's largest and most important military bases in Europe, and its highest number of soldiers, are located in Germany. It is impossible for the US military to move in Africa and the Middle East without using these bases. Therefore, it is clearly understood that the bases in Germany were used without problem during the attack on Iran.

According to a report by Berliner Zeitung based on the “austrianwings.info” portal, Boeing C-17 Globemaster III and Lockheed C-130 Hercules type transport aircraft have been taking off and landing at the Ramstein air base in Germany for weeks. Personnel and equipment were transported via Ramstein to Al Udeid (Qatar) and other bases. Ramstein serves as a central connection point between the American continent and the Middle East.

It can be said that; had Germany not allowed the use of bases, like Spain, it would not have been possible for the US to organise the attack on Iran. For this reason, Trump cannot thank Merz and Germany enough for the support and understanding they have shown!

While Germany is involved in the war in this manner, there is no meaning to Defence Minister Pistorius saying, “Germany is not a party to the war. The German federal army will not participate in this war.” Because it is not true.

Moreover, in these days, all countries wanting to play a role in the imperialist struggle for redivision are calculating how much of a share they will get from the cake in the event of regime change in Iran. For example, while France took action with the claim of defending Cyprus, it also gave various guarantees to the Gulf countries. Likewise, Britain is making calculations to be present in the region. In this situation, it does not seem very possible for Germany to stand back militarily.

The easiest option is to be involved in the war through NATO. For this reason, the fact that parts of a missile launched from Iran fell in Turkey has mobilised those with this intention. Depending on the course of the war, the open use of US bases in Turkey, the sending of missiles to Turkey in response, the activation of NATO’s famous Article 5, and the possibility of all NATO countries intervening in the war against Iran cannot be ignored, even if it seems low today.

It must not be forgotten that those who want to reach the targets set at the table through war will not hesitate to resort to all means to achieve this. Again, it must always be kept in mind that imperialist plans prepared at the table have been cast into the dustbin of history.