Spain recalls Israel ambassador, calls Iran war 'flagrant illegality': What to know
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the US-Israel war in Iran a "flagrant illegality.”
Spain has recalled its ambassador to Israel to Madrid, the official state gazette announced Wednesday — a move that effectively downgrades diplomatic relations between the two countries. The decision comes as Madrid has been forcefully pushing back against the US-Israeli attacks in Iran.
“This war was not provoked by Spain. It was a war driven unilaterally by two nations,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told El Diario Wednesday. “We are not going to resolve the situation of instability in the Middle East with such a flagrant illegality.”
Spain’s embassy in Tel Aviv will be led by a charge d’affaires, a source at the Foreign Ministry said, according to Reuters. No reason was given for the timing of the decision.
Over the past decade, Spain has emerged as one of Israel’s most vocal critics within the European Union, alongside Ireland. That stance has become more pronounced under Sanchez, who hails from the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party and has been in office since 2018.
