Berlin, Germany. Germany’s president Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Tuesday called the Iran war a “politically disastrous mistake” and said it breached international law, in an unusually blunt rebuke of U.S. President Donald Trump’s foreign policy.
Blunt criticism at foreign ministry speech
Steinmeier, whose largely ceremonial role allows him to speak more freely than politicians, delivered a more critical assessment than Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has skirted questions on the war’s legality.
“Our foreign policy does not become more convincing just because we do not call a breach of international law a breach of international law,” Steinmeier said in a speech at the foreign ministry.
“We must address this with regard to the war in Iran. For, in my view, this war is contrary to international law,” he said, adding he had little doubt that the justification of the imminent nature of an attack on U.S. targets did not hold.
Warning of a rupture in ties with the United States
Steinmeier said Trump’s second term marked a rupture in German foreign relations as profound as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Just as I believe there will be no going back in relations with Russia to before February 24, 2022, so too do I believe there will be no going back in transatlantic relations to before January 20, 2025,” he said.
Call to reduce dependencies in defence and technology
Steinmeier said Germany must apply lessons learned from extricating itself from “excessive dependencies” on Russia to the United States, particularly in defence and technology.
Germany has stressed the importance of creating alternatives to U.S.-dominated technology as concerns grow over U.S. access.
Trade shifts and tariffs
China returned to being Germany’s top trading partner in the first eight months of 2025, overtaking the United States as higher tariffs weighed on German exports. Trade between the United States and Germany amounted to more than 163 billion euros ($190 billion) over that period.
AI dispute cited as a possible wake-up call
Steinmeier said a recent spat between the Pentagon and Anthropic over safety guardrails surrounding the latter’s artificial intelligence could be a wake-up call, or even an opportunity, for Europe.
What should Germany prioritise to reduce dependencies on the United States in defence and technology?