Iran’s leadership is in its ‘final days and weeks’, Germany’s Merz says
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Supporters of the Iranian opposition group, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, protest to demand an immediate stop to the violence against protesters in Iran, in Berlin, on Jan 3.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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BENGALURU – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Jan 13 he assumes Iran’s leadership is in its “final days and weeks” as it faces widespread protests
Demonstrations in Iran have evolved from complaints about dire economic hardships to calls for the fall of the clerical establishment in the Islamic Republic.
“I assume that we are now witnessing the final days and weeks of this regime,” Mr Merz said during a trip to India, questioning the Iranian leadership’s legitimacy.
“When a regime can only maintain power through violence, then it is effectively at its end. The population is now rising up against this regime.”
Mr Merz said Germany was in close contact with the US and fellow European governments on the situation in Iran, and urged Tehran to end its deadly crackdown on protesters.
He did not comment on Germany’s trade ties with Iran.
US President Donald Trump said on Jan 12 that any country that does business with Iran will face a tariff rate of 25 per cent
Germany maintains limited trade relations with Iran despite significant restrictions, making Berlin Tehran’s most important trading partner in the European Union.
German exports to Iran fell 25 per cent to just under €871 million (S$1.31 billion) in the first 11 months of 2025, representing less than 0.1 per cent of total German exports, according to federal statistics office data seen by Reuters on Jan 13. REUTERS
