BERLIN, March 24 (Xinhua) -- German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier characterized on Tuesday the military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran as a "violation of international law" and a "politically fatal error."

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier speaks during a ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe at the German Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, May 8, 2025. (File photo: Xinhua)

Speaking at an event marking the 75th anniversary of the re-establishment of German Foreign Ministry, Steinmeier said the war was "avoidable and unnecessary" if the intended goal was to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

Steinmeier said international law remains "a regulatory framework, a rule book, and a source of legitimacy" for both Germany and Europe. "This Europe would be lost in a world without law and rules, as the European Union itself is built on them," he noted.

Steinmeier pointed to a deep rift that has emerged in the transatlantic relationship since the beginning of US President Donald Trump's second term, calling on Germany and its European partners to reduce "dependencies that make us vulnerable," specifically in the fields of security and technology.

"Achieving European sovereignty in defense and technology is a project that will take generations to complete," Steinmeier said, stressing that the magnitude of this task must no longer serve as an excuse for delay.