- ‘Germany must forbid the Americans from using Ramstein Air Base,’ Thoden tells Anadolu
- Thoden calls on European countries to take a united stance and not allow the US to use European infrastructure for strikes on Iran
- German lawmaker also criticizes Israel’s attacks in Iran and Lebanon, saying the Netanyahu government is now attacking everybody ‘they perceive as enemies’
BERLIN
A prominent opposition lawmaker has called on the German government to prohibit the US from using military bases in the country for the war in Iran, saying it would make Germany complicit in violations of international law.
Ulrich Thoden, a Left Party lawmaker, told Anadolu that a new independent legal assessment by the German parliament’s research service, commissioned at his request, concluded that the US and Israeli strikes against Iran lack legitimacy under international law.
“Now, if this is in breach of international law, the question is, is the government of Germany helping, aiding and abetting the US government in breaching international law?” Thoden said.
The assessment concluded that if the strikes were coordinated and logistically supported from an air base in Germany, the German government would also be responsible for violating international law, he said.
In that case, he said, Tehran could demand an apology or even war reparations, warning that this could have severe consequences for Germany.
Germany should follow Spain
Thoden pointed out that several European countries, including Spain, have so far declined to allow the US to use their airspace or bases on their territory because of such legal concerns.
He said the German government should do the same.
“First thing is they must establish whether or not those airstrikes are carried out using Ramstein Air Base. This is information that they can probably get from the US government or even from the German intelligence service,” he said.
“Then, obviously, Germany must forbid the Americans to use that airbase, at least for those purposes. And one should look closer in the future into cooperation with the United States forces on German soil,” he added.
The government led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz has largely avoided weighing in on the legal questions surrounding the US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Merz has called the situation a “dilemma,” while a government spokesperson said this week that US forces in Germany operate under long-standing bilateral agreements and that Berlin abides by them.
Thoden contrasted that cautious line with comments from German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who last week described the strikes as a “violation of international law” and accused US President Donald Trump of derailing a diplomatic solution to the nuclear standoff with Iran.
“This is a violation of international law. Now, our state president has already recognized that,” Thoden said, arguing the Merz government had kept its position vague to avoid angering Washington and should now state its view clearly.
Calls for European nations to unite
He called on European countries to take a common stance and refuse to let the US use European infrastructure to carry out the strikes.
“If this international law is now violated and breached, then all those who help the perpetrators to do so are also guilty and responsible.
“Especially from the European perspective, we need to be united here and really tell the Americans that there are things that they simply cannot do — not just breaching international law, but also using European infrastructure to carry out these strikes,” he said.
While acknowledging the threats Iran and Hezbollah pose to Israel, Thoden said that any response must be proportionate and remain within the bounds of international law.
Concern over Israeli actions in Iran and Lebanon
He voiced concern about Israel’s military actions in Iran and Lebanon, warning that tensions could escalate and the war could spiral into a wider regional conflict.
“Self-defense is only something that you use to avert the threat toward you, not to carry war into other countries. And from my perspective, the Israeli government has lost the measure for self-defense and is now really violently attacking everybody that they perceive as enemies,” he said.
Thoden said the German government should be more outspoken in its criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and take a clearer stance against violations of international law, while continuing to support international diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflicts.
He said Berlin should also intensify efforts to pursue a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, advocating a two-state settlement along the 1967 borders: a sovereign, secure Israel alongside a sovereign, secure Palestine.
