German politicians scrambled to interpret the situation in the Middle East over the weekend, with conservative voices in government urging caution in assessing strikes by Israel and the United States on Iran.
Although Berlin had long expected that US President Donald Trump might act against Tehran, many German politicians were initially as stunned by the events as observers elsewhere. On Sunday, Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the CDU gave a brief statement; his spokesman said Merz had been informed in advance about the military actions and had spoken by telephone on Saturday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Merz met with his cabinet’s security ministers before declaring: “The mullah regime is a terror regime, responsible for decades of oppression of the Iranian people.” He warned that Iran threatens Israel’s existence and bears responsibility for terror carried out by groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. “Together with the United States and Israel, we share the goal of ending the terror of these regimes,” he said.
At the same time the Chancellor cautioned that the airstrikes carried significant risks: “We do not know whether they will succeed in bringing about political change from within through military action from outside.” He stressed uncertainty over whether the strikes were justified but declined to issue a legal judgment under international law: “This is not the moment to lecture our partners and allies. Despite our reservations, we share many of their objectives.”
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) also voiced doubts in interviews over the weekend. Speaking to public broadcaster NDR, Wadephul said Germany was not seeking regime change and noted Iran’s role supplying drones to Russia for its war against Ukraine. “At this point, I am not making a final assessment under international law,” he added.
Merz’s and Wadephul’s cautious tone echoed Germany’s response earlier this year to the detention of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro by US forces. Experts had called that commando operation a clear violation of international law, but the German government declined to share that view. One practical reason for caution on Iran is that Merz was due to begin a long‑planned visit to the United States, meeting President Trump in Washington on Tuesday.
Representatives of the government’s junior coalition partner, the SPD, struck a different tone. Foreign policy expert Adis Ahmetovic said: “We share the goal that Iran must not acquire a nuclear weapon.” But he argued the conflict over Iran’s nuclear program did not justify “a war with unforeseeable consequences for the entire region.” The government, he said, must instead pursue de‑escalation and diplomacy.
Many German politicians fear the escalation could spread to Europe and Germany itself. Felix Klein, the Federal Commissioner for Combating Antisemitism, warned Iran might use its networks to carry out terrorist attacks against Jewish and Israeli institutions in Germany. In 2024, security officials estimated about 1,250 Hezbollah activists were active in the country.
For the opposition Greens, parliamentary group leader Katharina Dröge questioned the legitimacy of the attacks: “The United States and Israel justify their military interventions with an immediate threat they claim comes from Iran. But there is no international legal mandate for these actions. A justification under the right of self‑defense is conceivable, but subject to strict conditions. One must assume those conditions are not met.” Bundestag Vice President Omid Nouripour of the Greens avoided a legal assessment, noting on X that people in Iran long for freedom above all — a point on which many German politicians agree.
This article was originally written in German.
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