Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has called for an urgent show of ‘restraint’ and ‘de-escalation’ in the Middle East following the US’s bombing of Iran.
US President Donald Trump today announced that his forces had hit three key uranium enrichment sites overnight, in what has been dubbed ‘Operation Midnight Hammer’.
However, officials admitted it was ‘way too early’ to tell whether they had completely removed Iran’s ability to build a nuclear bomb, with sources saying the deep underground Fordow site was not entirely destroyed.
A fleet of B-2 bombers dropped at least 14 bunker-buster bombs and more than two dozen tomahawk missiles on the three critical sites.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth branded the strikes ‘bold’ and ‘brilliant’, and said Iran faced serious consequences if it does not come to the negotiating table.
Subscription Options
But world leaders are less than impressed by the move, with Chinese President Xi Jinping saying Trump ‘violated’ international peace, and the UK’s Sir Keir Starmer urging for a de-escalation of tensions.
Joining that chorus is Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who issued an urgent call for restraint and de-escalation.
He wrote in a post on X: ‘The Middle East is on the brink of collapse. There is an urgent need for restraint and de-escalation, for diplomacy and dialogue. We mourn the loss of civilian lives in this conflict.
‘Iran must never have access to nuclear weapons, but stability in the region can only be achieved at the negotiating table, with full respect for international law.
‘We need a diplomatic solution that establishes a comprehensive framework of peace and security for all.’