BERLIN

Germany said on Thursday it has serious doubts that the US attack on Iran is compatible with international law.

“I want to tell you that I have considerable doubts about this,” Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil told public broadcaster ZDF.

Klingbeil added he would not shed any tears for the leadership in Tehran “and yet, as Germany, we, Europeans in particular, should have a great interest in ensuring that a rules-based order, that norms and rules are upheld in this world.”

He called on the US to ensure a return to stability in the region. He wondered what strategy Washington was actually pursuing.

The vice chancellor pointed out that in recent days, different goals had been mentioned as the entire region was now in turmoil, and there was a threat of a conflagration.

“And now it is also the responsibility of the Americans to restore calm,” he said.

Klingbeil called on everyone to return to the negotiating table quickly. “This is a responsibility that everyone in the region bears.”

On March 1, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had expressed support for the US and Israeli attacks on Iran, while also acknowledging concerns about their legitimacy and the uncertainty of what will happen next.

"We see a dilemma here. International legal measures and steps we've repeatedly pursued for decades have been clearly ineffective against a regime that is developing nuclear weapons and brutally oppressing its own people," he said.