‘The hypocrisy is obvious’: Iran criticises Germany over UAE-related allegations

May 19, 2026

Tehran: Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Tuesday sharply criticised German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, accusing the Western country of applying “selective” standards on international law and regional security issues involving Iran.

Iran accuses West of double standards on nuclear attacks

Herr Friedrich Merz,
Die Heuchelei ist offensichtlich. Offene Angriffe der Vereinigten Staaten und des israelischen Regimes auf die gesicherten Atomanlagen des Iran stoßen nicht auf Verurteilung, sondern auf Ausreden und Rechtfertigungen. Wenn jedoch eine mutmaßliche… pic.twitter.com/fj16LaCb5f

— Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) May 18, 2026

In a post on X, Baghaei said, “The hypocrisy is obvious. Open attacks by the United States and the Israeli regime on Iran’s secured nuclear facilities do not provoke condemnation but rather excuses and justifications.”

He added that when a so-called false-flag operation occurs one whose authorship even the UAE has not officially attributed to Iran those same voices suddenly invoke the language of “international law” and “regional security.”

Call for consistent application of international law

Baghaei argued that concerns over attacks on nuclear facilities must be applied uniformly to all countries.

“If attacks on nuclear facilities threaten the people of the region, then this principle must apply equally to all states—and not merely when it serves the West’s political opportunism,” he said.

The Iranian spokesperson also drew a literary comparison from German playwright Heinrich von Kleist’s The Broken Jug, accusing Germany of moral double standards.

Germany warns over regional escalation after UAE strike

Earlier, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned strikes targeting the UAE’s Barakah nuclear facility, warning that attacks on nuclear infrastructure threaten regional stability and civilian safety.

He said there must be no further escalation of violence, expressing concern over rising tensions in West Asia.

The UAE confirmed that a drone attack targeted an electricity generator outside the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant perimeter in Al Dhafra. While it condemned the strike as a “terrorist attack,” it clarified that no damage was caused to the facility.

The UAE Foreign Ministry also stressed that attacks on peaceful nuclear infrastructure violate international law and relevant IAEA standards, warning of risks to civilians, the environment, and regional security.