Iran’s war response hardened Friday after Tehran rejected German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s description of the conflict as an “unnecessary war.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei said on X that the attack could not be downplayed. He called it a violation of Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the United Nations Charter.
Iran, whose capital is Tehran, sits in Western Asia. Germany, whose capital is Berlin, sits in Central Europe.
Baqaei said the crisis stemmed from the United States’ withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in May 2018. The nuclear deal was designed to limit Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.
Baqaei said the United Nations Charter does not recognise a “necessary war” based on arbitrary decisions by aggressors. He urged countries that respect international law to condemn the attack and seek accountability.
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Steinmeier had called the Iran war “unnecessary” and a “politically disastrous mistake,” according to international reports.
The exchange highlights widening disagreement in Europe over the conflict’s legality. Earlier reports said Steinmeier questioned the US claim that military action answered an imminent threat.
