Foreign policy officials of the SPD parliamentary group are urging the federal government to present a legal assessment of the attacks on Iran and Venezuela. “In both cases the legal assessment is clear: neither the U.S. strike on Venezuela nor the war against Iran is in accordance with international law” said Adis Ahmetovic, the SPD’s foreign policy spokesperson, to “Stern”.
Even more than two weeks after the outbreak of war in Iran, the government has not yet finalized an evaluation of whether the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes are unlawful or lawful under international law. A similar gap exists for the U.S. abduction of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. The responsibility for determining the international‑law status lies with the Foreign Office, headed by CDU Minister Johann Wadephul.
The foreign policy expert and former SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich told “Stern” that it is “more than regrettable” that the government has so far failed to provide a public opinion on the matter, describing the silence as almost negligent. He noted that in recent years Germany has not only helped develop international law but has also acted as a “guardian of that instrument” in global politics.
Ahmetovic warned that “those who fail to name obvious violations of international law risk the slow erosion of the international order”. To continue securing international support for Ukraine, he said, Germany and Europe need a consistent foreign policy. He added that the problem lies in the tendency to weigh internal politics and fear of direct conflict with the U.S. president too heavily, thereby narrowing Germany’s own strategic options.
