German leader says he does not want Nato to 'split' over war on Iran

German leader says he does not want Nato to 'split' over war on Iran Submitted by MEE staff on Thu, 04/09/2026 - 18:21 The US could punish Nato countries that did not assist in war on Iran and 'reward' those that did, report says US President Donald Trump meets with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on 3 March 2026 (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP) Off German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on ‌Thursday he did not want Nato to break up over the US-Israeli war on Iran , as US President Donald Trump ratcheted up his threat to impose costs on the alliance if members did not deploy forces to the Strait of Hormuz. "We do not want - I do not want - NATO to split. NATO is a guarantor of our security, including and above all in Europe," ‌Merz told reporters.