TEHRAN -- Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman highlighted a shift in Berlin’s rhetoric, contrasting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s endorsement of Israeli strikes on Iran in June 2025 with recent European warnings against renewed attacks.
Esmaeil Baghaei, in a post on X, recalled Merz’s remarks during the early phase of the U.S.-Israeli war: “This is the dirty work Israel is doing for all of us.” 
He then noted that by October 2026, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and counterparts from other European and regional states were cautioning against further military escalation and stressing the need to prevent a new round of attacks on Iran.
Baghaei accompanied the observation with a quote from Friedrich Schiller’s The Maid of Orleans, asking: “O exalted Reason, bright daughter of the divine mind... who are you, then, if, bound to the tail of the wild horse of madness, you must watch helplessly, crying out, as you are dragged alongside that drunken rider into the abyss?”
Iranian officials have long highlighted Western double standards. In June 2025, Israel launched unprovoked strikes on Iranian nuclear, military and civilian sites, killing commanders, scientists and ordinary citizens. 
Merz publicly framed the aggression as beneficial “dirty work” for the West. Iranian authorities at the time condemned the comments as
 an attempt to justify violations of the UN Charter and international law, pinpointing Germany’s complicity through political and material support for the aggressors.
More than a year later, amid tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. naval blockade and threats of renewed strikes, European and regional foreign ministers meeting in Istanbul Friday warned that further military action against Iran would produce only losers and must be avoided. 
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said none of the participating countries endorsed another attack, while French and Italian officials emphasized that the crisis cannot be resolved by force and called for restraint and dialogue.