Switzerland’s Defense Minister has joined a growing chorus of European officials condemning recent military strikes against Iran by the United States and Israel, declaring the actions violate international law.
Martin Pfister, Switzerland’s Defense Minister, made the remarks during a Sunday interview with SonntagsZeitung newspaper, becoming the latest European leader to express concern over the escalating conflict.
International law experts note that numerous nations view such attacks as unjustifiable under United Nations Charter provisions, which require member states to avoid using force without UN approval or legitimate self-defense justification.
“The Federal Council is of the opinion that the attack on Iran constitutes a violation of international law,” Pfister stated, speaking on behalf of Switzerland’s governing cabinet.
“In our view it constitutes a violation on the prohibition of violence,” the minister continued, urging all involved nations to cease military operations to safeguard civilian lives.
Pfister clarified his criticism extended to all nations failing to comply with international violence prohibitions, specifically naming the United States and Israel.
“The Americans and Israel have attacked Iran from the air. In doing so, they, like Iran, violated international law,” the Swiss official declared.
Similar concerns emerged from Germany, where Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil expressed skepticism about the conflict’s legal justification to the RND newspaper network, stating he harbored “serious doubts that this war is legitimate under international law.”
Klingbeil firmly rejected any potential German involvement in the military operations, emphasizing: “I say clearly: this is not our war. We will not participate in this war.”
The German official warned of broader implications, noting a “great danger that we are sliding ever deeper into a world where there are no longer any rules. We do not want to live in a world where only the law of the strongest applies.”
Spain has similarly condemned the American and Israeli bombing campaigns against Iran, characterizing them as both reckless and illegal actions.
