Sánchez to address Congress on March 25th: Government’s position on the Middle East war

Eduardo González The Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, will appear before the full session of the Congress on March 25th to report on the Executive's position regarding the conflict in the Middle East, according to parliamentary sources speaking to news agencies. Furthermore, Spain and Iraq have committed to raising the escalation of the conflict with the United Nations General Assembly, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, has assured that Spain will not participate in Macron's mission in Hormuz nor in "any action that implies support for the war in Iran and the Middle East." Sánchez announced last Friday his intention to appear before the Cortes Generales "to report on the position of the Government of Spain." “Twenty-three years ago, a Prime Minister (José María Aznar) dragged us into an illegal war, the Iraq War, and took ten months to appear before the Congress of Deputies,” Pedro Sánchez recalled during the press conference following the Spanish-Portuguese Summit. “Therefore, transparency, accountability. I have said it on many occasions: I am the Prime Minister in the history of democracy who has appeared before the Congress of Deputies the most times, and I will do so again,” he added. According to the aforementioned parliamentary sources, Sánchez will also report in his appearance, which will take place at his own request, on the conclusions of the European Council meeting on March 19. Following the outbreak of the conflict, Spain has denied the United States the use of its military bases in Rota and Morón, arguing that the Defense Cooperation Agreement, which governs bilateral military cooperation, stipulates that any use of these bases by Washington for operations not covered by the bilateral agreement requires Spain's approval. This stance has angered US President Donald Trump, who has threatened to "cut off all trade" with Spain. Ship to Cyprus Amid this controversy, the Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday the deployment of the frigate 'Cristóbal Colón' and the supply ship 'Cantabria' to Cyprus to contribute to deterrence and security in response to attacks on the British base in this EU member state, which is not a NATO member, by Iran and the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah. To defend this decision, which could contradict Spain's position on the conflict, Defense Minister Margarita Robles warned that it is a mission of "protection and possible evacuation," while the US objective was to launch an "attack from Spanish bases." Pedro Sánchez asserted this Friday that, just as the government is "consistent" in "defending international law in each and every one of the conflicts ravaging the world," it also aligns "all its decisions with national law." In response, the leader of the People's Party (PP), Alberto Núñez Feijóo, denounced Sánchez's "lies," stating that "on the day of 'no to war,' he is sending a warship, in logical compliance with NATO commitments." For this reason, the PP has demanded that Pedro Sánchez appear before Congress to explain his position on the Middle East and that the deployment of the frigate to Cyprus be submitted "immediately" to a parliamentary vote. The PP has objected to the deployment of the frigate 'Cristóbal Colón,' arguing that the National Defense Law requires congressional authorization to send Spanish troops to a "conflict zone." Sources within the PP, cited by the Europa Press news agency, point out that Sánchez does not even have the support of some of his parliamentary partners for the frigate's deployment. In fact, Podemos has already clearly expressed its opposition to sending the frigate. Hormuz In any case, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares made it very clear this Tuesday that Spain will not join the “purely defensive” mission proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron, along with other European and other nations, to reopen maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz. “There is no concrete plan or official proposal regarding the idea put forward yesterday by President Macron,” Albares declared at the press conference following the Council of Ministers meeting. “In any case, the position of the Spanish Government is well known and public: we will not participate in any action that implies support for the war currently taking place in Iran and the Middle East,” he asserted. “The Spanish Government only participates in operations that can guarantee peace and ensure the security of the European Union, and those are the parameters within which we operate,” he added. Iraq On Monday, Sánchez and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani pledged to raise the issue of the escalating conflict in the Middle East with the United Nations General Assembly. This escalation began with the US-Israeli offensive on February 28 against Iran and the subsequent retaliatory attacks by the Islamic Republic against a dozen Persian Gulf countries. According to the Iraqi Prime Minister's Press Office, Sánchez and Al-Sudani agreed during their telephone conversation on the need to "strengthen coordination and integrate the efforts of the international community and its institutions to ensure an immediate cessation of the escalation and limit its repercussions before they become difficult to contain." Therefore, both parties committed to "working together to hold a session at the United Nations General Assembly to discuss the repercussions of the war and limit the expansion of the conflict."

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