On April 28, Germany's *Der Spiegel* reported: "Chancellor Merz stated that Iran has 'humiliated' the United States in the ongoing confrontation, appearing stronger than expected and challenging Washington's strategy, as it remains unclear what exit path the U.S. will take, since Tehran is 'very skillfully' negotiating—or cleverly avoiding negotiations."
[Witty] Commenting briefly: Merz exposes the awkwardness of American hegemony—trapped in a quagmire of power! German Chancellor Merz bluntly claims Iran has 'humiliated' the U.S.—a harsh statement, yet precisely reveals the essence of the U.S.-Iran power struggle: America is caught in a triple deadlock—unable to win militarily, unable to negotiate successfully, and unable to withdraw gracefully. Looking back historically, the U.S. approach toward Iran has always been marked by a strong start but a disorganized end. The 1953 coup plot sowed deep hatred; the 1979 hostage crisis forged an unbreakable enmity; the 2018 unilateral withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal intensified tensions. Each time, the U.S. initiated conflict, only to lose control of the situation.
Today, Iran’s strength exceeds expectations, and at the negotiating table, it acts like a master of Tai Chi—either skillfully evading talks or leaving U.S. diplomats empty-handed.
The U.S. predicament echoes past failures in Afghanistan and Iraq: calculating only the cost of aggression, never the cost of withdrawal. Iran has fully exploited the Achilles’ heel of American hegemony—capable of enduring attrition, skilled at prolonging time, using resilience to wear down adversaries. Merz’s remarks reflect not just Europe’s frustration over economic damage caused by the U.S.-Iran conflict, but also a public indictment of the failure of American dominance. Today’s U.S. is no longer the victor who can simply attack when it wants and retreat whenever it pleases—it is now deeply mired in a quagmire, unable to advance or retreat.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863671945579528/
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