(MENAFN) A report by legal experts from the German parliament suggests that the recent Israeli and US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities likely violated international law, according to dpa news agency. Israel defended its initial strike as a pre-emptive measure to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The US followed with its own strikes after weeks of conflict between the two countries, later pushing for a ceasefire.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz publicly supported the attacks, calling them “the dirty work that Israel is doing for all of us.” However, Iran denies any military purpose for its nuclear program. Nations such as Russia and China condemned the strikes, arguing they undermine the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which permits signatories to pursue nuclear energy for peaceful uses.

The Bundestag’s Research Services produced a 54-page report, shared with dpa, stating that most international legal experts do not view Israel’s actions as legitimate self-defense under the UN Charter. The report says Israel would need to prove that Iran both intended and was capable of deploying a nuclear weapon imminently to justify the attack legally. Additionally, it stated the US cannot claim collective defense if Israel’s strike was unlawful.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Western countries of supporting what Moscow calls a breach of international norms by the US and Israel. He alleged that the UK, Germany, and France pressured the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to adopt harsh language against Iran in a report prior to the escalation, describing this as an imperialist and neocolonial stance.

Israel launched its military action soon after the IAEA board accused Tehran of violating the NPT. The legal analysis was commissioned by Ulrich Thoden, a lawmaker from The Left party, who criticized the German government’s close alignment with Israel and the US during the crisis, calling the report’s findings “a slap in the face.”

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