Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, one of Israel’s most outspoken critics in the international community since Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack, again lashed out Wednesday at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying Netanyahu “wants to inflict on Lebanon the same level of damage and destruction” that Israel caused in the Gaza Strip.
In a speech to the lower house of Spain’s parliament outlining his government’s opposition to a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, Sánchez argued the war is intended, among other things, “to undermine international law, destabilize the Middle East and bury Gaza under the rubble of oblivion.”
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Vox leader Santiago Abascal on Wednesday mocked a sticker of Sánchez that, according to reports, Iran placed on its missiles
(Photo: Thomas COEX / AFP)
Sánchez warned the current war against Iran carries a scenario “far worse” than the Second Gulf War, when U.S. forces invaded Iraq in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein over claims he possessed unconventional weapons. No such weapons were ultimately found, and U.S. forces became mired in years of fighting as Iraq descended into a bloody civil war.
“We are facing something much worse,” Sánchez said. “Something with the potential for far greater and deeper consequences.”
In his speech, Sánchez also attacked José María Aznar, Spain’s prime minister in 2003, accusing him of dragging Spain into the Iraq war by supporting the campaign against Saddam Hussein “because he wanted to feel important” and hoped then-U.S. President George W. Bush “would invite him for a cigarette.” Sánchez said that war must be remembered clearly, adding, “We must not repeat the same mistake.”
Sánchez, who has been frequently criticized by U.S. President Donald Trump, among other things for refusing to increase Spain’s defense budget in line with commitments made by other NATO members, said he was proud his government does not support the current war against Iran. He also touted what he described as the European Union’s largest social safety net, approved by Spain in response to the Iranian “tragedy,” including tax cuts.
He argued the war in Iran erupted to “serve the interests of the usual suspects,” and said that while it may “pass quickly,” it could also lead to “an Iraq-style nightmare many times greater, with the entire world bearing the consequences.”
“The Spanish government will act to ensure this does not happen again,” he said. “What we can be sure of is that this war will not deliver higher wages, more affordable housing or better public services. And that is a real tragedy. The last thing the world needed right now was another war — and in this case, an absurd, cruel and illegal war that distances us from our economic, social and environmental goals.”
'It's hard to defend peace when your face is plastered on missiles'
Sánchez accused the United States and Israel of launching the attack at a time when the United States had “a nuclear agreement in hand,” which he said was rejected “without explanation, without warning allies, without legal backing and without defined objectives.” He rejected White House claims that Iran was two weeks away from a nuclear weapon, saying “senior officials in U.S. security agencies have publicly stated that ‘Iran does not pose an immediate threat to the West.’”
He highlighted his government’s active opposition to the war since it began, including his decision to prevent the United States from using two Spanish military bases for what he called “this illegal war.”
“We are a sovereign country that does not wish to take part in illegal wars,” Sánchez said.
He described the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran as “a total disaster,” noting that since Feb. 28 there have been nearly 2,000 confirmed deaths, about 4 million displaced people in Iran and Lebanon, and roughly $12 billion in public funds spent on military operations.
Regarding the impact on Spain, he pointed to rising fuel prices and a drop in the IBEX 35 index, saying “Spanish companies have lost more than 100 billion euros in just one month — nearly 5 billion euros for each day of fighting.”
“And for what?” he asked. “To undermine international law, destabilize the Middle East and bury Gaza under the rubble of oblivion.”
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Footage of the stickers on the missiles circulated from Iran: 'An illegal and inhumane war. Thank you, Prime Minister Sánchez'
Opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo spoke after Sánchez in parliament, mocking him and saying he was behaving like an opposition figure to a government from 23 years ago, referring to his remarks about Aznar.
“It is very difficult to represent a respectable value like defending peace when Iranian propaganda is plastering your face on war missiles,” Feijóo said.
He was referring to images circulated in recent days that allegedly show Sánchez’s picture, alongside the message “No to war,” affixed to Iranian missiles launched toward Israel, in what was portrayed as a sign of appreciation for his opposition to the war and his sharp criticism of Israel and the United States.