Scholz: Germany Needs Strategic Missiles

Former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has blamed Western intervention for Iran’s long-term instability, arguing that the 1953 coup against Tehran’s democratic government paved the way for decades of dictatorship, while urging Europe to develop stronger independent military deterrence.

Iran’s Crisis Traced to Western Intervention

Scholz said Iran’s current predicament originated when British and American governments overthrew the country’s democratically elected leadership for oil interests, replacing it with the Shah. That dictatorship, he argued, ultimately led to the rise of Iran’s current rulers, who established what he described as a brutal regime.

According to Scholz, without that intervention, Iran could have evolved into a prosperous Western-aligned state. He noted that many at the time had hoped for a different outcome following the Shah’s fall, but those expectations were ultimately dashed.

Trade Does Not Guarantee Peace

Rejecting a long held assumption in Western policymaking, Scholz warned that economic ties alone cannot prevent conflict. He said it is an illusion to believe trade automatically leads to peace, pointing out that capitalism has historically expanded through warfare.

In some cases, he added, wars erupt precisely because of economic motivations, including competition over natural resources such as oil.

Europe’s Military Gap With NATO

Comparing Europe’s military capabilities with those of NATO supported by the United States, Scholz described the disparity as stark. He said the difference between American-backed NATO forces and what France and the United Kingdom can field independently is “like night and day.”

While reaffirming Germany’s commitment to its pledge not to develop nuclear weapons, Scholz said he had pushed for alternative strategic solutions and remains convinced they are necessary.

Call for Strategic Weapons and Missile Deployment

Scholz said Europe needs strategic weapons to ensure credible deterrence. As part of that vision, he advocated stationing American conventional intermediate-range missiles in Germany while also beginning to develop similar systems domestically.

Such steps, he argued, would strengthen European security without violating existing nuclear commitments.

Rethinking European Defense Cooperation

Turning to defense procurement, Scholz criticized fragmented multinational projects that divide production among bureaucracies. Instead, he proposed a model where if one European government orders a military system, other countries should be allowed to join under identical terms.

He said this approach would reduce bureaucratic power, streamline cooperation, and create a more efficient and unified European defense structure.