24.03.2026 21:51
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier strongly condemned the attacks by the US and Israel on Iran. Steinmeier stated, "This war is against international law. This war is a catastrophic political mistake. If the aim of the war is to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb, then this war is truly an unnecessary and preventable war."
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier delivered the opening speech at an event held in Berlin to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the re-establishment of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs after World War II. Speaking about the Ministry's perspective on global issues and proposed solutions, where he also served for many years as a Minister, Steinmeier made striking statements regarding the Iran war.
"THIS WAR IS ILLEGAL ACCORDING TO INTERNATIONAL LAW"
Steinmeier criticized the attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran and the stance of the German government, stating, "Not calling international law violations as violations does not make our foreign policy more credible. This war is illegal according to international law, and there is no doubt about that."
"WE HAVE NO REASON TO ADOPT THE U.S. WORLDVIEW"
Displaying a different attitude from the German government, which has avoided classifying the Iran war as illegal under international law until now, Steinmeier said, "The worldview of the current American government is different from ours. This view does not care about established rules, partnerships, and trust that develops over time. We cannot change this. We have to deal with it, but this is my belief. We have no reason to adopt this worldview. Great powers can survive in a world without rules and may even benefit from it in the short term. However, this is not true for us and not true for the overwhelming majority of states."
"THE IRAN WAR IS ILLEGAL ACCORDING TO INTERNATIONAL LAW"
Steinmeier, stating that "the world of tomorrow must be more than a bilateral struggle between the U.S. and China," emphasized that "our foreign policy must be pragmatic and effective." He added, "Our foreign policy does not become more convincing by not naming law violations as violations of rights. We already had to deal with this in the Gaza War. We must also deal with this in the Iran War because this war is contrary to international law. This war is also a catastrophic political mistake. If the purpose of the war is to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb, then this war is truly an unnecessary and preventable war."
Steinmeier remarked, "We have never been so far from the agreement aimed at preventing Iran's nuclear armament as we were on July 14, 2015," recalling that the phrase "We are preventing a war that Americans will have to wage against Iran" was used regarding the agreement, but two years later, in 2018, during his first term, U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from this agreement.
"INTERNATIONAL LAW MUST NOT BE IGNORED"
Pointing out that a war was waged in Iran during Trump's second term, Steinmeier stated, "International law is not an old glove that we must take off just because others are doing it. On the contrary, it is vital for everyone who is not among the great powers, now and in the future, even if it is neglected and violated by some. The framework of order, as a source of rules and legitimacy, has never lost its importance for Germany as well as for Europe. In a world without law and rules, Europe would disappear. Because the European Union itself is a rules-based structure. If we adopt the worldview of great powers, then this structure will collapse in the blink of an eye. That is why I believe our foreign policy must be pragmatic and effective; it must be where it should be and must not be where it should not be," he said.
Emphasizing that global issues are reshaping global balances, Steinmeier recalled that he has recently made a series of visits to develop strong collaborations. "In this context, I visited the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, Gulf countries, and Turkey, as well as Kenya, South Africa, Chile, and Brazil. These countries want to establish close relations with Germany. These states, like Germany, aim to reduce their dependencies and diversify their international partnerships," he said.
German President Steinmeier served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2009 and from 2013 to 2017 in the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was re-established on March 15, 1951, after World War II and is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Steinmeier also served as Minister of Foreign Affairs during the process of the nuclear agreement signed with Iran on July 14, 2015, involving the P5+1 countries, namely the U.S., Russia, China, the United Kingdom, and France, as well as Germany and the European Union.