US-Israeli war on Iran violates international law, German parliamentary study says
Experts say attacks breach the UN Charter as they lack self-defence grounds or Security Council approval.
Legal experts for the German parliament consider the war waged by the US and Israel on Iran to be in violation of international law and warn of potential implications for Germany, media reports have said.
According to a report commissioned by the opposition party The Left, the attacks, “according to prevailing opinion,” violate the prohibition on the use of force under the UN Charter, as they are neither justified by self-defence nor authorised by the UN Security Council.
In their 12-page analysis, the experts examined whether the potential use of US military bases in Germany - including Ramstein Air Base - for attacks against Iran could amount to assistance for which Germany bears responsibility under international law.
They said this “cannot be ruled out, depending on the specific circumstances,” according to German news agency dpa.
The report added that a possible violation of the prohibition on the use of force through “indirect use of force” could be considered, noting that US bases are located on German territory, not sovereign American soil.
The experts also referred to an earlier parliamentary analysis of Russia’s war with Ukraine, which found that the “mere making available” of Belarusian territory for Russian offensive operations could constitute aiding and abetting.
Use of Ramstein unclear
It remains unclear to what extent Ramstein is being used for the attacks on Iran.
The base is widely regarded as a hub for US forces in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Whether it is being used directly for combat operations is not publicly confirmed.
While Spain barred the use of two US military bases in Andalusia for attacks on Iran, the German government has refrained from taking such a step regarding US bases Ramstein and Spangdahlem.
Government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said in early March that the use of military bases in Germany is governed by international agreements.
“For this reason, we will not restrict them,” he said.
Last week, Germany’s Foreign Ministry rejected accusations that the country was committing “acts of aggression” in connection with the war on Iran.
Earlier, Iran’s ambassador to Berlin, Majid Nili Ahmadabadi, had sought clarification from the German government over the possible use of Ramstein Air Base for attacks.
According to the Iranian Embassy, no response has been received.