Israel Freely Defended: The Fight Against the Iranian Terror Regime

Israel Freely Defended: The Fight Against the Iranian Terror Regime

Tensions between Israel and Iran are currently taking a dramatic turn. Chancellor Thorsten Frei has defended the federal government's support for Israeli attacks on Iran. In his opinion, it is in the interest of the entire world that the Iranian mullahs' regime does not have nuclear weapons. In a speech on the sidelines of the G7 summit, he stressed that Iran's missile program also poses a threat to Europe and suggested that Israel had acted for serious reasons.

Frei said it is time to stop Iran's dangerous ambitions, especially since the attacks are justified with the aim of securing Israel's existence. “Iran’s goal is the destruction of Israel,” said Frei, who also pointed out Germany’s responsibility to support Israel in the current situation. In the first five weeks of the new federal government, arms exports worth almost four million euros were approved to Israel. This puts Germany well behind the 28 million euros approved in the first quarter of 2025 under the red-green minority government.

Self-defense or violation of international law?

Israel describes its military actions as preemptive strikes against an imminent risk. On June 13, 2025, the Israeli Air Force bombed strategic targets in Iran, killing several senior military commanders and nuclear scientists. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz spoke of a “pre-emptive strike,” while President Izchak Herzog said the attacks were carried out to neutralize an “immediate and existential threat.” Iran immediately responded with rocket attacks on Israeli cities, justifying them as self-defense against the backdrop of a possible attack on its nuclear facilities.

In international law, the prohibition of force applies according to the UN Charter, which prohibits attacks between UN member states. However, Israel invokes the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter, which applies in the event of a threatened attack. Critics complain that the threat posed by Iran's nuclear program is too abstract for Israel to justify an attack. Iran currently has uranium enriched at 60 percent, but has not yet reached the 90 percent level necessary for nuclear weapons.

The role of the international community

The German federal government, particularly the CDU, has clearly sided with Israel. Norbert Röttgen, a leading foreign policy expert in his party, has underlined the dangers of a potential Iranian nuclear weapons program for the security of Israel and the entire region. At the same time, there are also voices that point out the problem of the attacks with regard to international humanitarian law. The targeted killing of Iranian nuclear scientists in particular is a headache for many international lawyers. According to the rules of international humanitarian law, attacking states must protect civilians and legitimate war targets are only combatants.

Current developments make it clear how tense the situation is in the Middle East. Israel continues its attacks, even in the face of international criticism. Iran, on the other hand, is not calming down and has already threatened counterattacks. This means that the situation in the region remains extremely tense.

The question of what counts as necessary and justified military action and what can be viewed as an attack that violates international law remains open and will greatly influence international relations and politics in the coming months.

For more background information on this complex topic you can read the articles on Lip wave, daily news and ZDF read up.