President Donald Trump is hosting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House later Tuesday.
Trump is expected to hold a meeting with Merz at 11:15 a.m. EST. Watch live in our video player above.
The topics of discussion is sure to include Iran, although Merz’s visit was confirmed by the German government before Trump made the decision to strike.
LIVE UPDATES: Trump says Iran war could last weeks
The two leaders will meet in the Oval Office in front of a pool of journalists, and then have lunch. It’s Merz’s third trip to Washington since he took office 10 months ago.
Merz position on Iran conflict is in the spotlight at White House meeting
Merz has expressed understanding for the joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran but has not explicitly supported it.
Speaking on Sunday in reaction to the widening conflict, Merz said that Germany “shares the relief of many Iranians that this mullah regime is now coming to an end.”
The chancellor added “together with the United States and Israel, we share the interest in ending this regime’s terror and stopping its dangerous nuclear and ballistic armament.” At the same time he warned that the military action “is not without risk.”
Merz also pointed out that it was not clear what kind of escalation the attacks and counter-attacks could lead to in the region and whether military strikes from outside Iran could bring about political change from within. The chancellor referred to the U.S. interventions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, which did not lead to the desired outcome.
