Sánchez on Netanyahu: ‘His contempt for life and international law is intolerable’

Spain on Thursday issued a forceful condemnation of Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon and the wider conflict involving Iran, reinforcing Madrid’s position as one of the most vocal European critics of US and Israeli military actions — despite warnings from Washington about possible consequences for NATO allies that do not align with its stance.

The Spanish government’s opposition to the escalation with Iran has further strained relations with the United States, with figures linked to President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement increasingly calling for punitive measures against Madrid.

Addressing MPs, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares described the unfolding conflict as an attack on the foundations of modern civilisation, echoing earlier criticism from Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez over Trump’s decision to strike Iran.

‘We’re facing the greatest assault on the civilisation built upon the humanist ideals of reason, peace, understanding and universal law over the abuse of power, brute force and arbitrariness,’ Albares said.

‘The prophets of war and violence seek to return to the values and practices of history’s darkest moments,’ he added, accusing Israel of breaching international law and violating a recently agreed two-week ceasefire following a wave of airstrikes across Lebanon that killed more than 250 people on Wednesday.

Sánchez, who has positioned himself as a leading European opponent of the conflict, has already ordered Spanish airspace closed to aircraft involved in what he has described as a reckless and unlawful confrontation. ALSO READ: Spain blocks its airspace to US military flights linked to the war in Iran.

Late on Wednesday, he renewed his call for the European Union to suspend its association agreement with Israel, urging an end to ‘impunity for (Israel’s) criminal actions’. ALSO READ: Spain asks EU to suspend association agreement with Israel, citing human rights concerns.

Writing on X (see below), Sánchez said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ‘contempt for life and international law is intolerable’.

Spain and Italy also summoned Israeli diplomats on Wednesday in protest over separate incidents involving UN peacekeepers in Lebanon. Madrid said a Spanish member of the UNIFIL mission had been unjustly detained by Israeli forces. ALSO READ: Spain formally dismisses its ambassador to Israel, deepening diplomatic rift.

Relations between Spain and the United States had already deteriorated last year after Madrid refused Trump’s demand for NATO allies to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP, prompting threats from Washington to cut trade ties. ALSO READ: Trump vows to ‘cut off all trade’ with Spain over Iran stance: ‘We don’t want anything to do with Spain’.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said in March that the US should consider withdrawing from two jointly operated air bases in southern Spain and relocating them to ‘a country that will allow us to use them’.

Earlier this week, Albares warned that Trump’s public suggestions about pulling back from NATO were pushing European countries to explore alternative security arrangements. ALSO READ: Europe must take defence into its own hands amid US NATO threats, says Spain’s foreign minister.

Domestically, the government’s position appears to enjoy strong backing. Polls indicate a clear majority of Spaniards oppose the war, with Sanchez’s PSOE socialist party gaining support while the far-right Vox party — which has backed US and Israeli positions — has seen its popularity decline. ALSO READ: Latest opinion polls show PSOE gaining on anti-war stance, as support for far right stalls.

Although Sánchez welcomed a Pakistan-mediated ceasefire, he cautioned that Spain would ‘not applaud those who set the world on fire just because they turn up with a bucket’, in a pointed reference to the US administration.

Albares also announced that Spain would reopen its embassy in Tehran, signalling an effort to support diplomatic solutions in the region.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar sharply criticised the move, calling it ‘an eternal disgrace’ and accusing Spain of aligning itself with what he described as Iran’s terror regime.