Berlin, April 30 : German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said his personal relationship with US President Donald Trump remains good despite a recent exchange of sharp rhetoric regarding the war in Iran.

Speaking at a press conference in Berlin on Wednesday (local time), Merz said he and Trump remain "on good speaking terms," adding that he simply had doubts from the beginning regarding the actions initiated with the war.

Merz called for a swift resolution to the conflicts in Iran, as Germany and Europe are suffering considerably from the consequences of the conflicts, reports Xinhua news agency.

Earlier this week, Merz criticised the United States for its "planless" military engagement in Iran, saying that the United States "is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership."

In response, Trump wrote on social media on Tuesday that Merz "doesn't know what he's talking about" and is indifferent to Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Speaking at the Carolus-Magnus-Gymnasium, a school in Marsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Merz expressed his scepticism about Washington's ability to quickly conclude its war with Iran.

The United States "obviously went into this war without any strategy," Merz was quoted by the German magazine Spiegel as saying, adding that the Iranian side is negotiating highly skillfully.

"The problem with such conflicts is always: you don't just have to go in, you also have to get out," he said.

Merz reiterated Germany's offer to help secure the Strait of Hormuz and restore global oil supply chains. However, he stressed that Germany will only participate once all combat operations have ceased.

On February 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior commanders, and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. interests in the Middle East, and a tightened control over the Strait of Hormuz, a key global route for oil and gas shipments.

A ceasefire was achieved on April 8, but Iran and the United States failed to reach an agreement in their talks in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad. The United States later imposed its own blockade on the waterway.

The disruptions in the Strait have sharply driven up energy prices, with Brent crude climbing above 107 US dollars per barrel on Monday.

/IANS