Spain's prime minister rejects 'blind servility' to US, says 'no to war' Pedro Sanchez invokes Iraq war’s lessons, vowing Spain will not be 'complicit' in illegal hostilities GENEVA Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday forcefully rejected "blind and servile" alignment with military escalations in the Middle East, demanding an immediate ceasefire between Israel, the US and Iran. In a video address shared on the US social media company X’s platform, Sanchez declared Spain’s position as a definitive "no to war." Drawing direct parallels to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, he warned that the "Azores Islands mindset"— referring to the 2003 Azores Summit, where US President George W. Bush, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar met and effectively abandoned diplomacy in favor of a final ultimatum to Saddam Hussein before the invasion of Iraq — previously brought Europe a "more insecure world" and "worse life." He said that Spain will not be "complicit" in actions that are "bad for the world" simply out of "fear of reprisals." While repudiating the Iranian regime for its repression of citizens, he stressed that "one cannot respond to one illegality with another," referring to the ongoing "unilateral" strikes by the US and Israel. Sanchez also confirmed that the Spanish military is working "day and night" to coordinate "evacuation mechanisms" for citizens in the region. He concluded by saying "we have absolute confidence in the economic, institutional and also I would say moral strength of our country and because in moments like this, we feel prouder than ever to be Spanish." Tensions between the US and Spain are high as Madrid not only condemned the strikes against Iran but also refused to allow Washington to use military bases in Spain to carry out attacks on Iran. Earlier, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares "categorically" denied that Spain has agreed to military cooperation with the US following tensions over base access amid the ongoing US-Israeli offensive on Iran. Speaking to Cadena SER radio, Albares denied claims made by the White House, stressing that “the Spanish government's position regarding the war in the Middle East and the bombings in Iran, regarding the use of our bases, has not changed by a single comma." The denial follows statements from White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, who told reporters that Spain had agreed to cooperate after US President Donald Trump threatened to "cut off all trade" with the European ally. Trump’s ultimatum came after Madrid prohibited the US from using bases on Spanish territory to launch attacks against Iran. "With respect to Spain, I think they heard the president's message yesterday loud and clear, and it's my understanding...they've agreed to cooperate with the US military, and so I know that the US military is coordinating with their counterparts in Spain," Leavitt told reporters.
See this event through different lenses
Compare how Western, Iranian, Israeli, Global South, and Pro-Peace perspectives frame this event.
Compare PerspectivesLoading notes...
A tanker identified as the Kaifan was struck by an unknown projectile northeast of Oman’s Limah in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a July 21 report from UK Maritime Trade Operations. No ships were observed transiting the strait that day. Attribution of the strike and links to prior incidents have not been confirmed by the vessel’s owner.
Goldman Sachs has projected Brent crude averaging $80 per barrel in the fourth quarter and $75 in the following year, conditional on reduced Middle East tensions, while noting upside risks from potential shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz or Red Sea.
Brent prices rose above $91 per barrel amid recent U.S.-Iran exchanges and Houthi threats to Saudi shipments before edging lower on Tuesday. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that mediators had proposed a 10-day ceasefire to preserve an interim agreement.
Opening summary: Iran claims attacks on strait of Hormuz ships amid fresh US strikes Welcome to our live coverage of the latest developments in the Middle East crisis. Iran attacked a tanker in the strait of Hormuz early on Tuesday, forcing its crew to abandon the ship, as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis announced they were imposing an immediate maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea after the two sides traded fire last week for the first time in years.
A Houthi official said the Bab al-Mandeb strait – at the southern end of the Red Sea, through which about 12% of the world’s trade usually passes – would be closed to the Saudis in response to the kingdom’s “unjust blockade on Yemenis for over 10 years”.
Saudi Arabia said it would take “all necessary measures to protect its vessels in accordance with international law”. A 10 consecutive night of US airstrikes has not compelled Tehran to loosen its grip on the strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies.
But even as Iran’s president said the country had returned “full-scale war”, the Iranian interior minister travelled to Pakistan – a key mediator in the conflict – for talks. In key developments: The latest US strikes came hours after Donald Trump said Iran would pay “many times over” for killing US soldiers after multiple service members were killed in action over the weekend.
A tanker came under attack early Tuesday in the Hormuz strait off Oman, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed the attack as well as two other attacks on ships in the waterway on Monday.
The US military’s Central Command said its latest airstrikes were to “degrade” Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the strait and included hitting military command centres and missile and drone launch sites. Iranian media reported strikes in parts of the country including Bandar Abbas, Tabriz and Bushehr, home to the country’s only operational civilian nuclear power.
Iran’s launched attacks in response against Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, which all host US forces. Oil prices softened after hitting their highest levels in more than a month in the previous session. Brent crude futures eased 0.4% to $88.87 a barrel by 0052 GMT on Tuesday while US West Texas Intermediate crude for September delivery was steady at $82.
47 a barrel. Democrats have seized on the deaths of three US troops killed in Iranian strikes to urge Trump to urgently reverse his resumption of the war with Iran amid widespread anxiety over climbing casualties. The Lebanese army began taking charge of security in three southern villages, the US said, as a deal to secure an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah faced its first test on the ground.
US forces struck the tanker Settebello in the Gulf of Oman on June 10, killing three Indian crew members when munitions hit the engine room and adjacent areas. Maritime tracking data indicate the vessel had transported Iranian oil under US sanctions for several years and conducted offshore transfers prior to the strike.
The US military described the action as a precision operation, while reports note the ship was stationary at the time.