Tehran – July 6, 2025 – In a move likely to ripple through diplomatic circles, Germany’s Bundestag has issued an expert legal opinion declaring that the recent Israeli strikes on Iran—carried out with support from the United States—were in violation of international law and lacked justification under the United Nations Charter, reported by Mehr News Agency.
The 54-page report, quietly prepared by the Bundestag’s Research Services at the request of Ulrich Thoden, a Left Party parliamentarian, casts doubt on the legality of Israel’s “Operation Rising Lion,” which targeted suspected Iranian nuclear sites. The classified document, first obtained by Deutsche Welle, argues that Israel has not met the threshold to invoke Article 51 of the UN Charter, which permits self-defense only in the case of an armed attack.
According to the report, Israel would have needed to demonstrate, with clear and documented evidence, that Iran was not only preparing a nuclear weapon but was imminently planning to use it against Israel—and that military intervention was the only viable way to prevent it. “Producing sufficient fissile material in Iran’s nuclear program is merely a preliminary step,” the report states, emphasizing that suspicion alone does not warrant a military strike.
Despite Berlin’s official diplomatic alignment with Washington and Tel Aviv, the Bundestag’s legal scholars diverge, asserting that neither Israel nor the U.S. has supplied adequate public evidence to justify the operation. The document stresses that even if further classified intelligence exists, it remains Israel’s responsibility to furnish a legal rationale under international law.
The analysis also underscores the illegitimacy of U.S. involvement, calling it a clear breach of international norms and a dangerous precedent.
As tensions in the region remain high, the Bundestag’s conclusions may further complicate Western narratives and reignite debate over the boundaries of self-defense and preemptive warfare.
