Opposition parties and anti-war activists in Germany are stepping up calls for the closure of Ramstein Air Base, the largest U.S. Air Force facility overseas, amid concerns it is being used for American airstrikes on Iran that critics say may violate international law.
Ines Schwerdtner, co-leader of the Left Party, told the German news agency dpa on April 8 (local time) that “Trump’s actions must have consequences,” demanding that Ramstein be shut down “immediately.”
“We have a right to know whether Germany wants to continue to be a stooge for America’s arbitrary policies,” she said, calling on the federal government to clarify its position following U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to “completely destroy Iranian civilization.”
Tino Chrupalla, co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), has also urged a U.S. troop pullout. Speaking at the Saxony state party convention late last month, he argued that Germany should no longer be involved in foreign military operations and that the withdrawal of foreign forces and nuclear weapons, as stipulated in the AfD’s party charter, should start “with the withdrawal of U.S. troops.”
In an unusual move for a far-right politician, Chrupalla praised Spain’s left-wing government for what he described as its firm rejection of U.S. demands, including the use of Spanish military bases.
Pressure from civil society has mounted in parallel. On April 6, coinciding with Easter, German anti-war groups staged a demonstration in front of Büchel Air Base, where U.S. nuclear weapons are believed to be stored. The next day, a 76-year-old activist was arrested after throwing red paint at the Federal Chancellery in Berlin and unfurling a banner reading, “End Ramstein. Merz, you have violated international law,” referring to Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Ramstein Air Base, which also hosts NATO’s Allied Air Command (AIRCOM), is viewed by German media as a key hub for U.S. operations in the current Middle East conflict, with reports citing a sharp increase in military air traffic and suggesting the base is being used as a launch and landing point for aircraft involved in strikes on Iran.
The role of Ramstein in U.S. military operations has been contentious for years. In 2012, two Yemeni men who lost relatives in a U.S. airstrike on al-Qaeda filed a constitutional complaint against the German government, arguing that satellite relay facilities at Ramstein were essential to U.S. drone operations. The U.S. military, in coordination with Berlin, set up a satellite communication network at the base in 2010 that has since been used to control drones in the Middle East and other regions.
Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court dismissed the complaint in July last year, ruling that the federal government was not legally responsible for U.S. actions carried out via Ramstein’s infrastructure. The government now cites that decision to argue there is no legal obstacle to the base’s use in the current conflict.
“Our position on Ramstein has been sufficiently discussed and is well known,” deputy government spokesman Sebastian Hille said on April 8, reiterating the official line.
German officials have repeatedly stressed that “this war is not our war,” signalling they do not intend to participate militarily in the Middle East. However, unlike some other European countries such as Spain, Berlin has not challenged the continued use of U.S. bases on its territory.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that President Trump is considering redeploying U.S. forces from allied countries deemed insufficiently cooperative in the Middle East campaign and is weighing the closure of at least one European base, adding strategic uncertainty to the debate over Ramstein’s future.
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