Iran's Araghchi criticises German chancellor over support for US-Israeli actions

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi criticised German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in a post on his X account late on Friday, saying the chancellor had welcomed US-Israeli bombings of Iran last year. In the post, Araghchi wrote that when the bombings began, "German Chancellor Mr. Merz hailed them," and described the position as "doing Europe's dirty work."

The foreign minister also referred to the scale of Iran's military response, stating that "100bn Euro is nothing compared to the Earth-shattering blow Iran's powerful Armed Forces will deal against those who dare harm our people." He added that "red lines are a thing of the past."

The remarks were carried by Mehr News Agency, which reported the post under the heading of Iran's criticism of the German chancellor for backing what it termed US-Israeli aggression against Iran. The report did not provide further details on the circumstances the foreign minister was referring to, nor did it include any immediate response from the German government.

The statement follows a period of heightened tension between Iran and Western governments over regional military developments. Araghchi's post framed the issue around European backing for US and Israeli actions, and his comments on red lines and the capabilities of Iran's armed forces were presented as a warning to those he said would harm the Iranian people.

According to Mehr News, the foreign minister's comments were published on his X account late on Friday and centred on the German chancellor's alleged support for the bombings and on Iran's stated readiness to respond.