German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier launched a sharp and unprecedented diplomatic attack on US President Donald Trump's foreign policy, describing the ongoing war against Iran as a 'catastrophic mistake'. Steinmeier affirmed in official statements that these military actions represent a blatant violation of international law, reflecting a significant deterioration in the understandings between Berlin and Washington that have lasted for decades since the end of World War II.
The German President explained during a speech at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters that the justifications put forward by the American administration regarding imminent threats against US targets lack logic and realism. He pointed out that silence in the face of international rule-breaking does not serve the credibility of German foreign policy, emphasizing the need to call things by their true names, even when it concerns the largest strategic allies.
These frank positions from Steinmeier reveal a clear divergence in views within the German leadership, as his statements were sharper than the stance of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who preferred caution and avoided answering questions regarding the legitimacy of military operations. Steinmeier benefits from the honorary nature of his position, which grants him a wider margin to express the ethical and legal principles of the German state, away from daily political constraints.
In a striking comparison, the German President considered that Trump's second term created an earthquake in international relations, similar in its impact to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. He believed that just as it became impossible for relations with Moscow to return to their former state, transatlantic ties would never return to what they were before January 20, 2025, signaling a new phase of European autonomy or Western division.
On the ground and regional level, these criticisms coincide with continued American pressure that conditions Iran's surrender of hundreds of kilograms of enriched uranium and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz for international navigation under strict supervision. While major powers are preoccupied with this regional conflict, the Palestinian arena continues to suffer from the consequences of the confrontation, as field sources have monitored massive destruction in Gaza and its transformation into rubble amidst the spread of torn tents for displaced persons.
In a related context, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's philosophy of power emerges as an exacerbating factor in the conflict, coinciding with proposals from Trump's 'Peace Council' that pressure resistance factions to surrender their weapons. While raids and threats continue, Palestinian women in Gaza insist on staying and refusing forced displacement despite hunger and the loss of providers, in a scene that embodies the humanitarian tragedy resulting from the intertwining of regional and international wars.
Our foreign policy will not become more convincing simply because we refrain from calling a violation of international law a violation of international law.
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German President attacks Trump's policies: War on Iran 'catastrophic mistake' and violation of international law