Germany and Iran at Loggerheads: The Hypocrisy of “Constructive Dialogue”

In the midst of the military escalation between Iran and Israel, Berlin is once again calling for “constructive dialogue,” but it is doing so – once again – in the worst possible way. Speaking on Saturday, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said that Germany, France and the United Kingdom are ready to immediately resume negotiations with Tehran on its nuclear program , urging Iran to seize this opportunity.

“We are offering Iran immediate negotiations on its nuclear program, and I hope that the offer will be accepted,” he said, stressing that “Iran has missed too many opportunities for constructive dialogue.”

But timing, as is often the case in diplomacy, is everything. And in this case it is completely wrong.

The Hypocrisy of the “Skipped Dialogue”

The so-called “constructive dialogue” that Wadephul is talking about was scheduled for today in Oman , where the sixth round of talks on the Iranian nuclear issue was supposed to take place. But it was Israel’s preemptive strike on Tehran that blew it up , an attack that set the region ablaze and derailed any possible diplomatic initiative. Ignoring this fact and blaming Iran for a lack of willingness to negotiate is, at best, intellectual dishonesty.

Someone should remind the German minister that talking about peace immediately after a bombing is not diplomacy, it is propaganda disguised as good intentions.

Iran's Response: A History Lesson

Tehran's response was not long in coming. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baqaei responded harshly to Wadephul with a scathing and historic tweet:

“Historical reminder: Germany started two world wars. Iran hosted Jews fleeing Hitler. Ask the Polish and French refugees who got Iranian passports. Those who are perpetually on the wrong side of history would be better off keeping quiet now.”

A message that hits home, and that calls into question the moral legitimacy of Western Europe in acting as arbiter in Middle Eastern conflicts. While Germany sets itself up as a champion of dialogue, it continues to support — directly or indirectly — Israel's unilateral actions, and ignores the chain of provocations that led to the current crisis.

Empty rhetoric is no longer enough

The problem is not only what Wadephul said, but what he did not say: no condemnation of the Israeli attack, no call for restraint by Tel Aviv, no recognition of shared responsibilities . Iran is asked not to represent a danger to the region, but the same is not asked of those who have violated every rule of international law with a large-scale attack.

Ultimately, the language of diplomacy cannot continue to be used to cover up the facts , and Europe – if it wants to play a credible role – will sooner or later have to emerge from its chronic ambiguity. Until then, every “offer of dialogue” will be just an empty echo in the noise of the bombs.