Germany is weighing up military action against Iran as the conflict threatens to drag in major European powers, according to reports circulating Monday.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has already voiced strong support for the US and Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “We share the interest of the United States and Israel in seeing an end to this regime’s terror,” Merz told reporters in Berlin.
Now sources suggest Germany is actively considering joining the campaign if Iran does not stop attacking regional targets. The shift marks a dramatic break from Berlin’s usual caution in Middle East conflicts.
Merz acknowledged legal concerns about offensive strikes but argued decades of diplomacy have failed. “International legal measures we’ve repeatedly pursued have been clearly ineffective,” he said. He admitted the comparison with Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya shows “how real the risks are.”
The move follows a direct hit on German interests. Iranian missiles struck a German army camp in eastern Jordan on Sunday, though no casualties were reported. The attack came as Iran launched hundreds of missiles at US bases and Gulf states.
Germany has joined France and the UK in a joint statement warning they will take “defensive action” to destroy Iran’s missile capabilities. The three powers called Tehran’s strikes “indiscriminate and disproportionate.”
But Berlin’s position appears to go further than pure defense. Merz’s language about sharing US and Israeli interests in ending the regime suggests a more aggressive posture than previous German governments.
The potential escalation comes as Europe already struggles with the Ukraine war. Critics warn Berlin is giving Washington a “blank check” for an illegal war of aggression while ignoring its own security interests.
Iran has not targeted Germany directly beyond the Jordan camp strike. But with German troops stationed across the region and energy markets in chaos, Berlin appears ready to abandon its traditional reluctance to project military power in the Middle East.
