The Iran war is a ‘bad mistake,’ says the German president in an unusual reprimand – National
The war on Iran is a “terrible mistake” that violates international law, Germany’s president said on Tuesday in a rare rebuke of US President Donald Trump’s policy, which he said marked a breakdown in Germany’s relationship with its biggest post-war ally.
In a sharp attack, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whose largely ceremonial role allows him to speak more freely than politicians, took a more serious line than Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who answered questions about the legality of the war.
“Our foreign policy is very uncertain because we do not call violations of international law violations of international law,” said Steinmeier, a former foreign minister in the center of the Social Democratic Party, speaking at a foreign ministry meeting.
“We have to deal with this about the war in Iran. Because, in my opinion, this war is against international law,” he said, adding without a doubt that the validity of the immediate nature of the attack on US targets did not hold water.
Calling the war unnecessary and a “terrible political mistake,” Steinmeier said Trump’s second term meant a rupture in Germany’s foreign relations as deep as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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“Just as I believe there will be no further backsliding in relations with Russia before February 24, 2022, I also believe there will be no further backsliding in transatlantic relations before January 20, 2025,” said Steinmeier.
Germany had to apply the lessons it learned in removing itself from “overdependence” on Russia and apply them to the US, especially in defense and technology, which translates into power, he said.
Germany has stressed the importance of developing alternatives to US-owned technology as concerns grow over access to the US.
China returned to being Germany’s top trading partner in the first eight months of 2025, overtaking the US as higher prices were measured in German exports. Trade between the US and Germany was over 163 billion euros (US$190 billion) during that period.
The recent dispute between the Pentagon and Anthropic over the security surrounding the latter’s artificial intelligence may be a wake-up call, or an opportunity, for Europe, Steinmeier said.
“Europe as a technological center has skills, markets, opportunities and, importantly, ethical standards. We must build on this,” he said.
