Spain's Prime Minister backs Lebanon in its fight against Israel

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who has clashed with US President Donald Trump over the Iran war, also criticised the escalation of Israel in Lebanon that has forced thousands to flee. “I have just spoken with the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, about the serious situation in Beirut and across the country,” Sánchez wrote on X. “The Lebanese people can rely on our full support and humanitarian aid for the thousands of refugees. Enough with the escalation. No more destruction. No war.” Previously, Sánchez rejected war in Iran. In his national address, he delivered a short but firm message: “No to the war.” Sánchez stressed that Spain’s position does not mean backing Tehran; rather a humanitarian call for Iran, Israel, and the United States to stop hostilities. “Twenty-three years ago, we were dragged into the Middle East conflict by another US administration. Its consequences were the greatest wave of insecurity our continent has felt since the fall of the Berlin Wall,” he said, recalling the memory of the 2003 Iraq War. He warned that letting the conflict continue would be “playing with fire” with the lives of millions. He also criticised world leaders who fail to prioritise diplomacy. “It is totally unacceptable that leaders who fail in their duty try to cover up that failure with a shield of war,” he added. Madrid’s firm stance sparked tensions with Washington. Sánchez openly rejected US–Israel military strikes on Iran, a move that triggered threats of a trade boycott from US President Donald Trump. As a concrete protest, Spain banned the use of its bases to support US military operations, making Madrid one of the EU’s loudest voices questioning the legality of the strikes. Trump responded harshly, threatening to halt all trade with Spain. “We will stop all trade with Spain. We do not want to have anything to do with them,” Trump stated in a joint press conference with German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz. (Al Jazeera/P-3). The article notes that Prime Minister Sánchez reiterated that Spain will not participate in strikes against Iran and will ban the use of bases by the US, even in the face of a Trump trade embargo threat. President Macron expressed solidarity with Spain after Trump threatened to cut trade over objections to the use of bases in strikes on Iran. The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, firmly opposes war in Iran, with Madrid prioritising diplomacy and humanitarian aid despite pressure from the United States. The crisis is described as the beginning of a great disaster for humanity. Hizbullah said the attack was in response to what it called Israeli criminal aggression targeting dozens of towns and settlements in Lebanon, including Beirut’s southern outskirts. Syria has deployed thousands of troops and rockets to the Lebanon border to prevent arms smuggling and militia infiltration amid the escalation of the Israel–Hizbullah conflict. Rosatom said it had evacuated nearly 100 people from Iran. The United Nations warned about rising military activity in Lebanon amid the Middle East crisis. The United States advised its citizens and mission personnel to shelter in Iraq due to the threat from pro‑Iran militias. Tensions increased in Lebanon as Israel struck Hizbullah targets in Beirut.