Iran accuses German chancellor of supporting aggression and ignoring historical legacy

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is facing sharp criticism from Iran for his vocal support of Israel’s recent military actions against Tehran, with Iranian officials accusing him of dishonouring both international law and Germany’s own historical memory of World War II.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei issued a strongly worded statement condemning Merz’s stance, following the German leader’s endorsement of Israeli strikes during the recent escalation in the Middle East, Caliber.Az reports.

"German Chancellor Friedrich Merz persists in entrenching himself even deeper in the wrong side of history by fixing his position as a vehement backer and apologist of a genocidal aggressor.

It is extremely low for any stateman to disregard, let alone attempt to justify, a blatant act of aggression and gross violations of int'l law.

When the leader of a country with the legacy of Berlin 1945 overlooks ‘Nie wieder Krieg’ and supports Israeli's aggressions, war crimes and genocide, he not only distances himself from the conscience of history but also disrespects the collective conscience of the people of Germany.

Iran will not forgive those who once armed Saddam with chemical weapons — and those who today support aggression against Iran.

History does not forgive easily, and the memory of nations is long," Baghaei wrote.

The remarks came in response to Merz’s statement on June 17, in which he described Israel’s offensive against Iran as “the dirty work that Israel is doing for all of us.” Merz said he respected both the Israeli army and the country’s leadership for their actions, and later stated he saw no reason to criticise the joint Israeli-American strikes on Iranian territory.

The conflict erupted on June 13 when Israel launched a large-scale military operation against Iran, targeting nuclear and missile infrastructure. Iran retaliated within a day, and nine days later, on  June 22, US forces entered the conflict, striking three of Iran’s nuclear sites.

In response, Tehran launched a missile attack on the Al Udeid airbase in Qatar—the largest US military installation in the Middle East. According to US officials, the strike caused no casualties or significant damage.

On June 24, following diplomatic efforts led by the United States, President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a full ceasefire, which subsequently came into effect.

By Tamilla Hasanova