Israeli and U.S. military actions against Iranian nuclear facilities last month have sparked international legal concerns, with German parliamentary experts questioning the legality of the strikes. According to a report cited by the dpa news agency, legal scholars from the Bundestag argue that the attacks violate international law and were not justified under the UN Charter’s self-defense provisions. The German government, under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, expressed support for the initial Israeli strikes, which Merz described as ‘the dirty work that Israel is doing for all of us.’ This stance has drawn criticism from various international actors, who argue that the strikes undermine global nuclear non-proliferation norms, particularly the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The report, compiled by experts from the Bundestag’s Research Services, highlights that for the strikes to be legally justified, Israel would need to demonstrate both the intent and capability to deploy a nuclear weapon. Furthermore, the analysis suggests that the U.S. cannot claim the right of collective defense if the initial Israeli attack was itself unlawful. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Western countries of complicity in what Moscow calls a U.S.-Israeli breach of international norms. He pointed out that the UK, Germany, and France pressured the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to use imprecise language in a report on Iran’s nuclear program presented to the UN nuclear watchdog’s board by Director General Rafael Grossi just weeks before the escalation.
The German government’s alignment with the U.S. and Israel in this crisis has faced criticism from within Germany. Lawmaker Ulrich Thoden of The Left party commissioned the legal analysis and called the findings ‘a slap in the face for the German government.’ Thoden criticized the government’s support for the strikes, arguing that it reflected a lack of impartiality and adherence to international law. The situation has also intensified diplomatic tensions, with Iran denying any military intent behind its nuclear program and emphasizing its right to peaceful nuclear energy use under the NPT.