Most Germans oppose US military attack on Iran, survey says

Most Germans oppose the US military intervention in Iran, according to an opinion poll released by public broadcaster ZDF on Monday.

Among those questioned, some 59% rejected the US attack on Iran, while 18% supported it, 13% were indifferent and 10% had no opinion on it.

The latest survey is in stark contrast to the position of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz who on Sunday expressed support for the US and Israeli attacks on Iran, while acknowledging concerns about their legitimacy and the uncertainty of what will happen next.

Speaking to reporters in Berlin, Merz accused the Iranian government of repressing its own population, supporting terror organizations for decades, destabilizing the region, and threatening other nations with its nuclear program and long-range missiles.

"The German government therefore shares the relief felt by many Iranians that this mullah regime is now coming to an end," Merz said. "We share the interest of the United States and Israel in seeing an end to this regime's terror and its dangerous nuclear and ballistic weapons program," he added.

The conservative leader acknowledged concerns about the legality of the military strikes under international law, but claimed that years of diplomatic efforts to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions have proven fruitless.

"We see a dilemma here," Merz said. "International legal measures and steps we've repeatedly pursued for decades have been clearly ineffective against a regime that is developing nuclear weapons and brutally oppressing its own people."