Most Germans regard the United States and Israel’s last‑week strike on Iran as unwarranted. A poll by Infratest for the ARD found that 58 % of respondents judged the action as unjustified, 25 % considered it justified, and 17 % were unsure or did not answer.
For context, a similar survey about the U.S. attack on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in early January revealed that 72 % of Germans saw it as unjustified, 12 % as justified, and 16 % had no opinion. In the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, an even larger share-80 %-deemed the military action unjustified, with 14 % viewing it as justified.
When asked about the overall political climate, about 77 % of Germans (an increase of 23 percentage points from early February 2022) describe the situation as threatening or very threatening. Only 21 % feel little or no threat, a drop of 21 points. This sense of danger is felt across the political spectrum.
A growing number of respondents-85 % now, up by four points since January-are concerned that power politics is increasingly governed by the “strength of the stronger”. Eighty percent fear that the Iran war could harm international trade. Seventy‑five percent worry that the conflict might spread to other countries, while 71 % are worried for the people inside Iran. Two‑thirds (66 %) fear insecurity within Europe, and 55 % are uneasy that Russia could target further European states. These figures are 8 % lower than the October 2025 snapshot.
When it comes to trusted international partners, 15 % still view the United States as Germany’s reliable ally, unchanged from January. Twelve percent consider Russia trustworthy, up by three points. Israel is seen by 17 % as a reliable partner. France is viewed as a dependable ally by 82 % (up 4 points), and Britain by 75 % (up 1 point). Views on Ukraine remain divided: 39 % trust the country, 47 % doubt its trustworthiness.