Concerns are growing across Europe as leaders question the legality of the recent attacks on Iran.
In a strong statement, Martin Pfister, Switzerland’s defense minister, said the airstrikes carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran violate international law.
Speaking in an interview with the Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung, Pfister said the Federal Council of Switzerland believes the attacks broke global rules that prohibit the use of force between nations.
According to him, the strikes go against the fundamental principle that countries must avoid violence unless it is clearly justified.
Under the United Nations Charter, member states are required to refrain from using force or threatening military action unless they are acting in self-defense or have approval from the UN.
But many legal experts, Pfister noted, believe the recent attacks fail to meet those standards.
“The Federal Council is of the opinion that the attack on Iran constitutes a violation of international law,” Pfister said.
He stressed that the issue is not limited to one country alone.
Pfister pointed out that any nation ignoring the prohibition on violence could be seen as breaking international law.
“The Americans and Israel attacked Iran from the air,” he said. “In doing so, they, like Iran, violated international law.”
Beyond the legal debate, the Swiss defense chief also delivered a clear message: stop the fighting.
He urged all sides involved in the conflict to halt military actions immediately in order to protect innocent civilians who could be caught in the violence.
Pfister’s concerns echo those of other European leaders.
Lars Klingbeil, Germany’s vice chancellor and finance minister, also expressed deep doubts about whether the war can be justified under international law.
Speaking to a German newspaper network, Klingbeil said he has “serious doubts” about the legitimacy of the conflict.
He was also firm about Germany’s position.
“This is not our war,” he said clearly. “We will not participate in this war.”
For Klingbeil, the situation raises a much bigger concern—one that goes beyond the current conflict.
He warned that the world could be drifting toward a dangerous future where international rules no longer matter.
“There is a great danger that we are sliding ever deeper into a world where there are no longer any rules,” he said.
“It should not become a world where only the strongest decides what is right.”
Meanwhile, Spain has also criticized the airstrikes, calling the bombings carried out by the United States and Israel reckless and illegal.
As tensions continue to escalate, European leaders are now calling for restraint—hoping diplomacy can prevent the conflict from spiraling into something far more devastating.
