The SPD has indicated that it would not rule out a legal review of using the US base in Ramstein should US President Donald Trump order airstrikes against civilian targets in Iran, such as power plants or bridges. According to Adis Ahmetovic, the SPD parliamentary group’s spokesperson for foreign policy, such actions would be “clearly considered illegal” by both the German government and the EU if Trump were to knowingly authorize such attacks, deeming it a “war crime”. Ahmetovic also stated to the “Handelsblatt” (Wednesday edition) that, in the view of the SPD and many international law experts, the ongoing war against Iran, which began on February 28th, is already illegal under international law. He added that if the German government reached this assessment, it would need to investigate “whether and to what extent the use of German locations like Ramstein is legally permissible-if necessary, through court action”. Furthermore, the Green party’s MEP, Rasmus Andresen, called for consequences if the war were to escalate further. While Andresen told the “Handelsblatt” (Wednesday edition) that Germany has no strategic interest in heightened tensions with the United States, he warned that “if Trump continues to provoke, we must be prepared to question the rationale for the US military presence in Germany”.
Politics
