Germany will not participate in military strikes on Iran, says foreign minister
Berlin made its position clear as pressure mounted on European governments to declare their stance on the US-led campaign.
Europe — March 2, 2026
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated categorically on Monday that Germany will not participate in military strikes against Iran and called for an immediate return to diplomacy.
'Germany does not take part in these military operations. We believe the path to preventing an Iranian nuclear bomb must run through negotiations, not bombs,' Baerbock said at a press conference in Berlin.
She acknowledged the seriousness of the Iranian nuclear threat but argued that military action risked 'unleashing a catastrophic chain reaction with no foreseeable end.'
Berlin also announced it was evacuating German nationals from Iran through a special humanitarian corridor coordinated with Turkish authorities. Some 1,200 Germans were registered as living in Iran.
The German Bundestag was convening an extraordinary session to debate the conflict, with all major parties agreeing that parliamentary oversight of any potential German involvement was non-negotiable.
Germany's position aligned it with France, Italy, and Spain in a European bloc skeptical of the military approach, distinct from Poland, the Baltic states, and the Czech Republic, which broadly supported the US-Israeli action.
