Spain will not participate in any military deployment in the Strait of Hormuz, as it views the US-Israeli war on Iran as unlawful, the country’s defence and foreign ministers said on Monday.
The left-leaning coalition government led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has been openly critical of the offensive and has also prohibited US aircraft from using shared military bases in southern Spain. ALSO READ: Spain formally dismisses its ambassador to Israel, deepening diplomatic rift.
Defence Minister Margarita Robles (main image) dismissed a request from US President Donald Trump for support in securing the strategic waterway — which Iran has effectively closed to oil tanker traffic — as well as his warning of a ‘very bad future’ for NATO allies that decline to assist. ALSO READ: Pedro Sánchez responds to Donald Trump: ‘No to war’.
‘Spain will never accept any stopgap measures, because the objective must be for the war to end, and for it to end now,’ Robles said.
Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares stressed that while the situation in the strait is a serious concern for Europe, the European Union should prioritise ending the conflict over any economic interests.
‘We mustn’t do anything that would add even more tension or cause the situation to escalate further,’ he told reporters in Brussels. ALSO READ: Spain’s foreign minister says relations with US remain ‘normal’ despite Trump’s trade threats.
Several other EU countries, including Germany, Italy and Greece, have also indicated they will not take part in military operations in the strait, while others such as Denmark have yet to announce their position. ALSO READ: Pedro Sánchez urges ‘loyal cooperation’ not ‘confrontation’ with US amid tensions over Iran war.
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La situación en Líbano es una vergüenza para la humanidad.
— José Manuel Albares (@jmalbares) March 16, 2026
Gaza y Cisjordania están olvidadas por la comunidad internacional.
Europa tiene que ser quien señale el camino que lleva a la coexistencia pacífica en Oriente Medio. pic.twitter.com/9VKcGxbnft
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