Iran’s regime in its ‘final days and weeks’ after mass protests, Germany’s Merz says

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday said the embattled Iranian regime appears to be finished as mass protests continue across the country.

Speaking to reporters during his visit to India, Merz renewed calls for Iranian authorities to end their violence against demonstrators, adding that he hopes for a peaceful end to the escalating crisis.

“If a regime can only keep itself in power by force, then it’s effectively at the end. I believe we are now seeing the final days and weeks of this regime,” Merz said, in comments reported by Sky News.

“In any case, it has no legitimacy through elections in the population. The population is now rising up against this regime,” he added.

Merz’s comments come as Iran grapples with one of the most widespread anti-government demonstrations in years.

The Iranian government has claimed the prolonged protests are now under control, while human rights groups have reported that hundreds have been killed by Iranian security forces in recent weeks.

A spokesperson for Iran’s embassy in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who said Monday that any country doing business with Iran will face a 25% tariff, has repeatedly threatened to take military action against Iran if the killings continue.

The demonstrations, which began in Tehran’s bazaar on Dec. 28, have been fueled by growing frustrations over a long-running economic crisis, particularly the government’s handling of a sharp fall in the nation’s currency and soaring prices.

Speaking on Friday, Iran’s supreme leader lashed out at anti-government protesters, saying they were “vandals” acting on behalf of Trump by destroying public properties.

In a broadcast on national television, reported by Reuters, Ali Khamenei warned Tehran would not tolerate “mercenaries for foreigners.”

“The Islamic Republic came to power through the blood of hundreds of thousands of honorable people. It will not back down in the face of vandals,” Khamenei said.

Iran, which is a member of OPEC, is a major player in the global oil market.

Crude futures were trading higher on Tuesday morning as investors assessed the impact of potential supply disruptions.

Jacob Helberg, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, said the Trump administration is monitoring the situation in Iran “very closely” but has yet to deliberate on how it is going to respond.

“For decades, the Iranian regime has neglected its economy, its agriculture, its water, and its electricity in order to squander Iran’s vast wealth on terrorist proxies and nuclear weapons research,” Helberg told CNBC’s “Access Middle East” on Tuesday.

“Ultimately, their future is in the Iranian people’s hands. The United States, as President Trump has made clear, will not tolerate massacres in the streets,” he added.