The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has revived the 'No to war' slogan in the face of the conflict in the Middle East, popularized during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and has warned that Spain will not be an accomplice to something bad for the world simply out of fear of retaliation from someone, in reference to Donald Trump. Sánchez made these remarks in an institutional statement regarding the attack by the United States and Israel on Iran following threats from the U.S. president to Spain, whom he did not explicitly mention at any point. After expressing Spain's solidarity with the countries attacked by Iran, he emphasized that no one knows for certain what will happen from now on and that the objectives of the United States and Israel are not even clear, but he acknowledged that it is necessary to be prepared for the possibility of a long war with numerous casualties and serious economic consequences. In this regard, he reiterated that Spain's position is clear, rejecting the violation of international law and avoiding the mistakes of the past, which he claims were made during the war in Iraq, leading to an increase in jihadist terrorism, a migratory crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean, and a rise in energy and living costs. Measures in the face of uncertainty In contrast to this 'gift from the Azores trio', he stressed that the position of the Spanish government is summed up in four words: 'No to war'. He now also anticipates increased economic uncertainty, with rises in the price of oil and gas, and for this reason, he defended Spain's position again against leaders who 'use the smoke of war to hide their failure and at the same time fill the pockets of a few'. The government, if necessary, will help households, workers, and companies that may be affected by the economic impact, Sánchez guaranteed. 'Spain currently has the necessary resources to face this crisis. We have the capacity, also the political will, and we will do it — he added — hand in hand with the social agents, as we did during the pandemic, the energy crisis, or the recent tariff crisis'. Guarantee of evacuation He also promised assistance to Spaniards in the region to help them return, for which he said the Foreign Service and the army are working 'day and night'. The evacuation operations, he specified, are very delicate due to the unsafe airspace, but he insisted that Spaniards in the region can be certain that they will be protected and brought back to the country. The President of the Government also noted that Spain will collaborate with all countries in the region that advocate for peace and compliance with international law, as well as with European allies for a coordinated and effective response. In the same vein, he will continue to demand that the United States, Israel, and Iran cease hostilities and seek a diplomatic solution to the war, arguing that an illegality cannot be answered with another and that one cannot play Russian roulette with the destiny of millions of people. In his opinion, the question is not whether Spain is in favor of or against the ayatollahs' regime because no one is in favor of it, but rather whether one is in favor of or against international law and peace. Recalling that the Spanish people always repudiated Saddam Hussein's dictatorship but did not support the war in Iraq for that reason, he explained that now the Iranian regime is repudiated, 'which represses and vilely kills its citizens, especially women,' but this conflict is also rejected. Far from considering the Spanish government's position to be naive, he pointed out that it is naive to think that the solution is violence or to believe that democracies or respect between nations arise from the ruins. It is also, he specified, to practice 'blind and servile following'. 'I believe that this position is in no way naive, it is coherent, and therefore we will not be accomplices of something that is bad for the world and that is also contrary to our values and interests simply out of fear of retaliation from someone,' said Sánchez in reference to Trump. Sánchez expressed absolute confidence in Spain's economic, institutional, and moral strength and affirmed that the government is with those it should be with, 'with the values — he said — that our parents and grandparents established in our Constitution'. 'Spain stands on the founding principles of the European Union, it stands on the United Nations Charter, it stands on international law, and therefore it stands for peace and peaceful coexistence between countries and their living together,' he added. And in this line, he continued: 'We are also with many other governments that think like us and with millions of citizens who, throughout Europe, in North America, and in the Middle East, who do not ask for more war or more uncertainty for tomorrow, but for more peace and more prosperity, because the first only benefits a few and the second benefits us all'.
