They break with allies who have endorsed the attacks
France and Norway together questioned the legality of military strikes on Iran by Israel and the US, breaking with allies who have endorsed the attacks.
“There is no legal basis for these strikes, even if France shares the goal of Iran not having nuclear weapons,” Emmanuel Macron told reporters during a visit to Norway on Monday. Although the French president has distanced himself from the conflict with Iran from the beginning, these were his strongest comments yet.
Standing alongside Macron, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said the US strikes were “outside the realm of international law,” confirming previous comments to Norwegian media.
The stance contrasts with those of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has praised Israel for “doing the dirty work” to make the region safer. He reaffirmed that stance at a business event in Berlin on Monday.
“There is no reason for us, or for me personally, to criticize what Israel started a week ago, nor is there any reason to criticize what America did last weekend,” the German conservative said.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who will try to rally support for defense spending increases at summit starting Tuesday in The Hague, also backed the strikes, saying they don’t violate international law.
Despite the differing views on attacks on Iran, Macron and Merz agree on closer cooperation to defend Europe. In a joint piece for the Financial Times on Monday, the two leaders identified Russia as the main threat to the region’s security.
“In these testing times, Germany and France — together with our European and transatlantic friends and allies — stand united and strong, to defend our common values as well as the freedom and security of our citizens,” they wrote.
Copyright Bloomberg News
