Germany says its soldiers deployed in the Middle East will defend themselves if attacked

Record ID: 2360575

  • Title: Germany says its soldiers deployed in the Middle East will defend themselves if attacked
  • Date: 2nd March 2026
  • Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (MARCH 2, 2026) (REUTERS) ONGOING PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON, STEFAN KORNELIUS, SAYING: "We are talking about the self-defence of the German army, the self-defence of the soldiers stationed there. The wording expresses that we reserve the right to protect our soldiers in the region if they are attacked. The soldiers
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Iran Trump USA bombings cyprus europe
  • Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
  • City: BERLIN, GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Europe,Military Conflicts
  • Reuters ID: LVA001997302032026RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:A German government spokesperson said on Monday (March 2) that the nation's military personnel deployed in the Middle East have the right to defend themselves if attacked, following the U.S.-Israeli military assault on Iran. Government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said during a press conference that German soldiers would "naturally" exercise their right to self-defence.
    A spokesperson of the German Defence Ministry furthermore said that using military aircraft to evacuate German nationals stranded in the Middle East was a measure of last resort after all efforts to use commercial operators have been exhausted. Defence Ministry spokesperson Mitko Mueller said that civilian contractors, such as airlines and tour operators, were now primarily responsible.
    Germany's Dertour and TUI Cruises have suspended or adjusted travel plans across the Middle East after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran spurred retaliatory action, leading to airspace closures and widespread travel disruption.
    (Production: Oliver Ellrodt, Anna Dittrich)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2026. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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