Iran war ‘not a matter for Nato’, says Germany’s Merz

European countries have demanded to know more about US president Donald Trump’s plans for the war on Iran and when the conflict might end as they weighed whether to agree to his call to send warships to help shore up security in the Persian Gulf.

As European Union foreign ministers gathered to discuss Trump’s demand, German foreign minister Johann Wadephul said it’s important for the US and Israel to define “when they consider the military aims of their deployment to have been reached.”

“We need more clarity here,” Wadephul told reporters.

German chancellor Friedrich Merz’s spokesperson, Stefan Kornelius, underlined that “it is not Nato’s war. Nato is an alliance to defend the alliance area.”

Kornelius said that Berlin “took note” of Trump’s comments, but added: “The United States did not consult us before this war, and so we believe this is not a matter for Nato or the German government.”

Meanwhile, Estonian foreign minister Margus Tsahkna also said that US allies in Europe want to understand Trump’s “strategic goals. What will be the plan?”

And Polish foreign minister Radek Sikorski invited the Trump administration to go through the proper channels.

“If there is a request via Nato, we will of course out of respect and sympathy for our American allies consider it very carefully,” he said.