Pedro Sanchez has strongly criticised the unilateral military action taken by the US and Israel against Iran.
The countries launched missiles at targets across the country on Saturday, following weeks of US military build-up in the region.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has now called for Iranians to flood the streets and ‘finish the job’, claiming that the supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei is presumed dead after his compound was hit.
However, Spain’s PM said his country ‘rejects’ the action, which ‘represents an escalation and contributes to a more uncertain and hostile international order.’
He added: ‘We likewise reject the actions of the Iranian regime and the Revolutionary Guard.
‘We cannot afford another prolonged and devastating war in the Middle East.
‘We demand immediate de-escalation and full respect for international law. It is time to resume dialogue and achieve a lasting political solution for the region.’
The strikes follow a series of failed negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
In a statement posted on social media, US President Donald Trump said: ‘A short time ago the United States military began major combat operations in Iran.
‘Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime’.
Trump claimed Iran was pursuing a nuclear weapons programme, an accusation denied by Tehran.
‘They can never have a nuclear weapon,’ he said.
In a message to ‘the great, proud people of Iran,’ Trump said: ‘The hour of your freedom is at hand…when we are finished, take over your government, it will be yours to take.
‘This will be, probably, your only chance for generations.’
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
