Afghan refugee family faces migration reality in Germany – DW – 06/12/2025
Shubhangi Derhgawen
06/12/2025
June 12, 2025
This year, until April, saw over 80% of all asylum claims in Germany rejected. DW accompanies one Afghan family on the day of their important appointment with immigration authorities. Is it good news?
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Berlin, Paris urge restraint as Israel-Iran crisis escalates – DW – 06/14/2025
As the hostilities between Israel and Iran itensify, European leaders have called for calm, warning of the growing risk of a broader regional war. But Europe's role as a key mediator may be over amid stalled diplomacy. The latest flareup intensified Friday when Israel launched a targeted strike on Iran's Natanz nuclear facility, killing several senior military commanders and nuclear scientists. Tehran then retaliated to Israel's large-scale attacks with waves of missile strikes on Friday evening and early on Saturday. The attacks in an already unstable region have caused widespread concern across Europe. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte emphasized the urgency of avoiding further escalation, calling "for many allies — including the United States — to work ... to de-escalate.' Adding, "this was a unilateral action by Israel.' European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen echoed the sentiment in a post on X, urging "all parties to act with maximum restraint and work to de-escalate the situation.' Adding that in a call to Israel's President Isaac Herzog late on Friday she "reiterated Israel's right to defend itself and protect its people." Before writing that "at the same time, perserving regional stability is vital." Further calls for restraint Key European powers also appeared to rally behind Israel following its attack and Iran's counterstrikes. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed strong support for Israel's "right to protect its existence and the security of its citizens.' Adding in a post on X that Iran's nuclear program presents "a serious threat to the entire region, and particularly to the state of Israel." A sentiment echoed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who similarly urged restraint while reaffirming Israel's right to self-defense. The French leader has previously described Iran's nuclear capabilities as a significant strategic and security challenge for both France and Europe. This alignment has drawn criticism from some analysts, who argue that Europe's support for Israel may undermine its credibility as a neutral mediator. "European capitals such as Berlin and Paris have come out in support of Israel, ignoring this was an unjustified action," Hugh Lovatt, a senior policy fellow with the Middle East and North Africa program at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), told DW. Israel launches strikes on Iran, sparking fears of wider war To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Julien Barnes-Dacey, director of the Middle East program at the ECFR, further warned that Germany and France's alignment with Israel runs the risk of isolating Iran. "If you are an Iranian, you would see this as Europeans siding with Israel in support of military action,' he told DW. Iran, meanwhile, demanded a firmer stance from Europe. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, in a phone call with his Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani, called on the EU and the broader international community to condemn what Tehran called a "criminal attack.' IAEA report influences Europe European powers — particularly the so-called E3 of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom — position has been influenced in part by a recent resolution from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which found Iran in violation of its nuclear non-proliferation obligations. The resolution, introduced by the E3, has provided political backing for a toucher stance on Iran, reinforcing accusations of non-compliance. As diplomatic efforts to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal — formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — continue between the United States and Iran, European powers have found themselves on the sidelines. Talks between the US and Iranian officials have taken place over recent months in Oman and Rome. The sixth round, reportedly scheduled for this weekend, was cancelled on Friday following the latest strikes. "Europe missed an opportunity to use diplomacy before military escalation took over,' Lovatt said. Both he and Barnes-Dacey believe Israel's strike was designed in part to disrupt efforts to revive the US-Iran nuclear talks. Hans Jacob Schindler, senior director at the Counter Extremism Project, told DW that the region is now "in a very dangerous escalation spiral,' with risks of further escalation increasing by the day. "The current assessment is that Israel can only delay Iran's nuclear program,' Lovatt added. With nuclear diplomacy faltering and military confrontation looming, Europe's role as a mediator — once central to the Iran nuclear deal — appears increasingly sidelined.
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10 hours ago
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Israel-Iran conflict: Where do Trump and the US stand? – DW – 06/13/2025
US President Donald Trump claims his country was not involved with Israel's attacks on Iran. At the same time, he threatens that if Tehran doesn't reach a nuclear deal with the US, attacks on Iran "will only get worse." The US government's political line after Israel's attack on Iran is clear: Washington had no part in it. "Israel took unilateral action against Iran," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement shared by the White House. "We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense … Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel." The White House social media team posted the statement on social media platform X roughly an hour after the start of Israel's attacks on Iran early Friday morning. Later, on Friday evening, Iran launched retaliatory attacks on Israel. Before that, on Thursday, the US State Department posted a warning on X about the complex security situation in the Middle East: "We remind U.S. citizens in Israel and the broader region of the continued need for caution and encourage them to monitor the news for breaking developments." The US was informed about the attack in advance. But were they really not actively involved in any way? "Everything we know so far about the logistics, for example about the hidden drones in Iran, suggests that Israel carried out the attack alone," Sascha Lohmann, senior associate and part of the America regional research group at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said in an interview with DW. "But we cannot completely rule out the possibility that the US helped." The deployment of 200 military jets that flew to Iran and back for example raises the question of whether the US military provided support with air-to-air refueling, according to Lohmann. Iran's nuclear program under attack Israel's attacks early Friday morning were mainly directed against military facilities and sites involved in Iran's nuclear program, such as the Natanz nuclear facility, where uranium is enriched, among other things. In addition to several leading figures in the Iranian military, at least six scientists and researchers working on Iran's nuclear program were killed. Since April 2025, Tehran and Washington had been holding talks to reach an agreement to replace the old nuclear deal with Iran, from which the US withdrew during Trump's first term in 2018. After Israel's attack on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, Trump was quoted by Fox News reporter Bret Baier as saying that "Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb." Expert: Israel caught Iran by surprise To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "We hope to get back to the negotiating table," Trump said according to the right-leaning TV channel. "We'll see." Trump: Attacks on Iran 'will only get worse!' Trump used much harsher language on his social media platform Truth Social. He wrote in a post that he had given Iran many chances to reach a nuclear deal with him. If that doesn't happen, Trump says he warned Iranian leadership that they're facing an attack that's much worse than anything they could imagine. "The United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the world by far," Trump wrote. "Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come ― and they know how to use it." The Iranian hardliners who spoke out against a nuclear deal are "all DEAD now," Trump continued in his post, "and it will only get worse!" Meanwhile, US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff warned that Iran is also capable of causing considerable damage in Israel. Further nuclear negotiations between the US and Iran unlikely The next meeting between the US and Iranian delegations on a possible new nuclear agreement was supposed to take place this Sunday in Oman, but Iran canceled it. It is also unclear how the talks will proceed in the long term. Ali Shamkhani, a close confidant and advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, is said to be among those killed in Iran. According to German news magazine Spiegel, Shamkhani played an important role in the nuclear talks between the US and Iran. He is said to have been open to an agreement, but also warned that the government in Tehran could end its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and expel UN nuclear inspectors if Iran felt threatened. "As long as the conflict continues with its current intensity, it is difficult to imagine that the talks will continue," Lohmann said. This article was originally published in German
DW
10 hours ago
- DW
Israel's attack on Iran: Where do Trump and the US stand? – DW – 06/13/2025
US President Donald Trump claims his country was not involved with Israel's attacks on Iran. At the same time, he threatens that if Tehran doesn't reach a nuclear deal with the US, attacks on Iran "will only get worse." The US government's political line after Israel's attack on Iran is clear: Washington had no part in it. "Israel took unilateral action against Iran," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement shared by the White House. "We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense … Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel." The White House social media team posted the statement on social media platform X roughly an hour after the start of Israel's attacks on Iran early Friday morning. Later, on Friday evening, Iran launched retaliatory attacks on Israel. Before that, on Thursday, the US State Department posted a warning on X about the complex security situation in the Middle East: "We remind U.S. citizens in Israel and the broader region of the continued need for caution and encourage them to monitor the news for breaking developments." The US was informed about the attack in advance. But were they really not actively involved in any way? "Everything we know so far about the logistics, for example about the hidden drones in Iran, suggests that Israel carried out the attack alone," Sascha Lohmann, senior associate and part of the America regional research group at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said in an interview with DW. "But we cannot completely rule out the possibility that the US helped." The deployment of 200 military jets that flew to Iran and back for example raises the question of whether the US military provided support with air-to-air refueling, according to Lohmann. Iran's nuclear program under attack Israel's attacks early Friday morning were mainly directed against military facilities and sites involved in Iran's nuclear program, such as the Natanz nuclear facility, where uranium is enriched, among other things. In addition to several leading figures in the Iranian military, at least six scientists and researchers working on Iran's nuclear program were killed. Since April 2025, Tehran and Washington had been holding talks to reach an agreement to replace the old nuclear deal with Iran, from which the US withdrew during Trump's first term in 2018. After Israel's attack on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, Trump was quoted by Fox News reporter Bret Baier as saying that "Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb." Expert: Israel caught Iran by surprise To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "We hope to get back to the negotiating table," Trump said according to the right-leaning TV channel. "We'll see." Trump: Attacks on Iran 'will only get worse!' Trump used much harsher language on his social media platform Truth Social. He wrote in a post that he had given Iran many chances to reach a nuclear deal with him. If that doesn't happen, Trump says he warned Iranian leadership that they're facing an attack that's much worse than anything they could imagine. "The United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the world by far," Trump wrote. "Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come ― and they know how to use it." The Iranian hardliners who spoke out against a nuclear deal are "all DEAD now," Trump continued in his post, "and it will only get worse!" Meanwhile, US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff warned that Iran is also capable of causing considerable damage in Israel. Further nuclear negotiations between the US and Iran unlikely The next meeting between the US and Iranian delegations on a possible new nuclear agreement was supposed to take place this Sunday in Oman, but Iran canceled it. It is also unclear how the talks will proceed in the long term. Ali Shamkhani, a close confidant and advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, is said to be among those killed in Iran. According to German news magazine Spiegel, Shamkhani played an important role in the nuclear talks between the US and Iran. He is said to have been open to an agreement, but also warned that the government in Tehran could end its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and expel UN nuclear inspectors if Iran felt threatened. "As long as the conflict continues with its current intensity, it is difficult to imagine that the talks will continue," Lohmann said. This article was originally published in German
