US President Donald Trump ​criticised German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on ‌Thursday, saying he should focus on trying to end the Russia-Ukraine war and ​spend “less time on interfering” with the ​effort to tackle “the Iran nuclear threat”.

Trump ⁠has been sparring with Merz ​over the war in Iran in recent ​days. On Tuesday, he said Merz didn’t know what he was talking about after the ​German leader said the Iranians ​were humiliating the US in talks to end the ‌two-month-old ⁠war.

Earlier, on Wednesday, Merz said his relationship with US President Donald Trump remained ​good despite a row between the two men over the Iran war, but ‌he reiterated his worries over the economic impact of the conflict.

The spat reflects diverging views between the Trump administration and its European NATO allies on Iran and other issues, ​including the Ukraine conflict.

“From my perspective, my personal relationship with the ​US President remains good. I simply had doubts from the ⁠start about what was begun with the war in Iran. That is ​why I have made that clear,” Merz told reporters.

“In Germany and Europe, we are ​suffering from the consequences, such as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. This has a direct impact on our energy supply and a huge impact on our economic performance,” ​said Merz, adding that Washington and Berlin were speaking to each other.