Article content

(Bloomberg) — Spain’s foreign minister accused the US and Israel of violating international law in Iran, encouraging Europe to speak out against the ongoing airstrikes.

Article content

“We want military actions always under the United Nations charter and under collective effort,” José Manuel Albares said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. 

Article content

Article content

“When we don’t see that, Spain raises its voice to signal that’s not the right way to go,” he added. 

Article content

Albares’ comments reflect Spain’s increasingly pointed criticism of President Donald Trump, which has stood out among its European neighbors. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has been the lone prominent European voice saying the US and Israeli strikes defy international law, barring the US from using Spanish bases to attack Iran.

Article content

Article content

Other major European countries, like the UK, Germany and France, have been more cautious, largely avoiding the question of legality and offering potential defensive support as Iran retaliates. 

Article content

Article content

Albares implored his European allies be more vocal in defending a rules-based global order. 

Article content

“Spain and the European Union and Europe must be a voice that establishes a balance, that talks about deescalation, that talks about protecting and defending international law,” he said. 

Article content

“A world based on predictable rules is better than a world in which force is the only rule,” he added.

Article content

It’s not the first time Spain — one of Europe’s few socialist-led countries — has stood out on the continent for its rebukes of Trump.

Article content

Earlier this year, the country denounced the US president’s decision to seize Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Last fall, Spain also forbid the transfer of US weapons to Israel through its military bases in protest over the war in Gaza.

Article content

Additionally, Spain, a major European economy, has openly pushed back against Washington’s demand that North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies spend 5% of their gross domestic product on defense.

Article content

Article content

Albares argued that Spain is “meeting all the requests of our capacities that are requested from NATO,” insisting that the 5% figure would be “taking resources that might be needed somewhere else.” 

Article content

One mounting concern for Europe as the assault on Iran continues is access to energy supplies. Already, shipments of gas and oil through the region have been squeezed, with Iranian strikes hitting some key production facilities.

Article content

Albares said Spain isn’t expecting a supply crunch yet. Only 5% of the country’s oil and 2% of its gas pass through the Strait of Hormuz, off Iran’s coast, according to government data. 

Article content

“We have very reliable suppliers, including the United States in LNG for instance,” he said, referencing liquefied natural gas. “But what we see is that the prices are racing and of course it’s a situation of concern for every country in the world.”

Article content