German president scolds US over Iran war: ‘Breach of international law’

Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Tuesday described President Trump’s conflict with Iran as a “disastrous mistake” that violates international law, with the unusually strong criticism underscoring European anger toward the U.S.

As part of a speech at the German Foreign Ministry, Steinmeier warned that Trump’s second term marked a rupture in foreign relations with his nation, as groundbreaking as Russia’s full-scale invasion against Ukraine, according to multiple outlets reporting on the remarks. 

“Our foreign policy does not become ⁠more convincing just because we do not call a breach of international law a breach of international ​law,” he said, Reuters reported. 

The German president holds a largely ceremonial role that allows more freedom for criticism compared with other politicians in the nation. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also raised concerns about the war but emphasized maintaining relations with the U.S.

Merz is a member of the conservative Christian Democratic Union of Germany. 

But Steinmeier, a member of the center-left Social Democratic Party, called the war a “politically disastrous mistake” that had irrevocably harmed transatlantic relations. 

“Just as I ‌believe ⁠there will be no going back in relations with Russia to before Feb. 24, 2022, so too do I believe there will be no going back in transatlantic relations to before Jan. 20, 2025,” he said. 

The German leader criticized the Trump administration’s reasoning for going on the offensive against Iran, saying, “There is little doubt that, in any case, the justification of an imminent attack on the U.S. does not hold water,” Politico EU reported. 

“The rift is too deep and the trust in American power politics has been lost, not only among our allies but … worldwide,” Steinmeier added, according to AFP. 

The U.S. and Israel initially launched strikes against Iran beginning on Feb. 28. The Iranian regime has retaliated by hitting U.S. facilities across the Middle East, direct strikes on Iran and civilian infrastructure among regional countries that are partners with the U.S.

Tehran has also effectively shut down the maritime energy route, the Strait of Hormuz, sending the global economy into chaos. 

Trump on Monday walked back a U.S. threat to strike Iranian energy infrastructure for five days citing talks with Iran, although the Islamic Republic denies negotiations are taking place. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is headed to France on Friday to meet with foreign ministers from the Group of 7 nations, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom.

The discussions will focus on the situation in the Middle East as well as the Russia-Ukraine war and “threats across the world to peace and stability,” the State Department said in a statement. 

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