This press release in German is online here at dpa Newsroom

June 13^th, 2025

After decades of aggressive threats from Tehran, Israel has decided to directly attack the Islamic Republic of Iran's nuclear program with a pre-emptive strike. During the night, Israeli aircraft were involved in an extensive wave of attacks in Iranian airspace. The Israeli army took measures to disable Iranian air defenses. The targeted killing of the head of the Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, has also been confirmed so far. The Revolutionary Guards had promoted the nuclear program and provided financial and military support to regional terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas and Houthis.

The destruction of Israel is the repeatedly stated goal of the regime in Tehran. The regime's course to date has been clear: the nuclear bomb, against all odds. Just this week, a report by the UN nuclear agency IAEA confirmed that Iran can produce enough weapons-grade uranium to build eleven nuclear bombs in two to three weeks. The danger for Israel was therefore imminent and existential. 

In a gesture of solidarity, Netanyahu emphasized that Israel's attack was not aimed at the Iranian population, but at the nuclear programme and the cruel regime under which Iranians were also suffering.

The international community has failed to adequately counter the threat diplomatically. Instead, the hesitant approach to the regime created the conditions that made today's military strike inevitable for Israel.  

Michael Spaney, Director of the Mideast Freedom Forum Berlin, emphasizes: "Tonight, Israel acted in self-defence. The German government must now stand by Israel and explain the danger posed by the Iranian nuclear program in international forums such as the UN and the EU. After all, an Iranian nuclear bomb would not only be a threat to Israel. The nuclear arms race it would trigger would be a global threat. In order to counter Tehran's retaliatory strike and increase the pressure on the regime to seek a negotiated solution with the USA, Germany should trigger the UN snapback mechanism of the nuclear agreement."

Now is also the time to effectively combat the Islamic Republic's network in Germany. There is an urgent need for action to protect exiled Iranian, Jewish and Israeli individuals and institutions from possible attacks and assaults. In the past, the regime has unfortunately proven all too often through terror and kidnappings how high the danger is, even outside Iran. Only credible political, diplomatic and legal pressure can curb these terrorist activities in Europe and the Middle East.