HUELVA, Spain.- This Friday, the president of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejóninsisted on his rejection of the Iran’s “illegal war”of which he said that “it is a extraordinary mistake that we are going to pay for“, on the other hand affirming his “admiration” for American society and his “respect” for the Presidency of that country, headed by Donald Trump.
In a press conference after concluding the Spanish-Portuguese summit held in Huelvain the south of Spain, Pedro Sánchez defended the sending a frigate to Cyprus for tasks of protection and defense in the framework of the current conflict without requesting the authorization of the Spanish Congress.
“Defensive mission and nothing offensive”
According to Sánchez, it is a “defensive mission and nothing offensive” which conforms to the organic law of national defense approved in 2005.
“With the same determination that leads us to say ‘no to war’ in Iran, we evidently have the determination to be supportive and help, to lend a hand to a member state of the European Union who is a victim precisely of that conflict,” said Sánchez.
He recalled that the Spanish frigate ‘Christopher Columbus’which will reach the Cypriot coasts in the coming days, has been sent at the request of that European partner to contribute “to defense and collective security.”
After Trump’s threats to Spain, Sánchez once again claimed multilateralism, international law and the transatlantic link, but “from respect and from loyal and equal collaboration,” with rules and not confrontation.
Intervention that does not comply with international law
He also expressed his “admiration” for American society and “respect” for the presidency of the United States, but reaffirmed the “clear stance” on the part of the Government of Spain on intervention in Iranwhich sees an “error” and a “mistake” that does not comply with international law.
Within this “coherent” and “consistent” position of Spain, it highlighted the rejection of the Iranian regime, especially from the “deep” feminist convictions of its Executive.
“We have always expressed our opposition to the repression of the Iranian regime, of its population, particularly women and girls, but that does not mean that the international order has to be effectively violated,” he added.
He also justified again his “no to war,” convinced that the escalation of war in the Middle East is a “real threat” to peace in the world and also to the prosperity of companies and households, due to the “obvious” rise in the cost of living that domestic economies will fundamentally suffer.
Pedro Sánchez: “No to war”
Last Tuesday, Sánchez resumed the “No to war” flagpopularized with the invasion of Iraq in 2003in a institutional appearance at the Moncloa Palace after Trump threatened to cut off trade relations with Spain for not allowing the use of the Rota and Morón bases for attacks on Iran.
That day he claimed the validity of international law and stressed that Spain will not be “complicit in something bad for the world” just for fear of reprisals.
This Thursday, the Ministry of Defense reported the shipment to Cyprus of the frigate ‘Cristóbal Colón’ in the company of the French aircraft carrier ‘Charles de Gaulle’ and other ships of the Greek Navy to provide protection and air defense to that country, after a drone launched from Lebanon hit a british base on the island in the context of the conflict in the Middle East.
The Spanish Minister of Defense, Margaret Roblesrejected that the sending of the frigate means that Spain is entering the war and defended that it is a mission of aid and protection, like all those in which the Spanish military participates within NATO or the European Union (EU).
However, the opposition Popular Party (PP) demands that participation in this operation be authorized by Congress, because it argues that a warship is being sent to a conflict zone and Spanish soldiers are exposed to being attacked.
Sánchez recalled this Friday that he himself has asked to appear in the plenary session of Congress to report on the position of his Executive regarding the conflict and said that in 2003, before the Iraq war, the then president José María Aznar took ten months to do the same.
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