Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD) has been clear that he backs Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s (CDU) position of refusing U.S. military aid in the Iran conflict. When asked by the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” whether Germany should take part in a military operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, he said, “You can’t do that, absolutely not”.
Schröder described the actions of the United States and Israel as “devastating”. He said the war is largely ideologically driven, a conflict that “cannot really be won” and reminded him of the Vietnam War. He added that people have underestimated how deeply entrenched a religious regime can become after many years, noting that from the perspective of many Iranians, “here …. a henchman of God is being attacked, not just the head of a normal civilian power”.
The former Chancellor also reflected on his own past stance. In 2003 he declared a German “no” to the U.S. war in Iraq. Yet, similar to Merz’s current approach, he has allowed unrestricted use of the U.S. air base in Ramstein, Rhineland-Palatinate. Schröder said that many in his party wanted him to act decisively against this policy. He replied that blocking the airfield would signal the end of German‑American cooperation.
He reiterated that Germany has indeed supplied airfields and overflight rights to the United States, but emphasized that the key point was not to participate in the conflict itself.
