The Diplomat
Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares on Wednesday condemned Iran’s attacks on US bases in Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain as “unjustifiable” and reiterated his call for “de-escalation and negotiations to end this war now.”
“Iran’s attacks on Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain, friendly countries, are unjustifiable,” Albares posted on social media. “I reiterate our full solidarity with them,” he continued. “Our foreign policy works towards de-escalation and negotiations to end this war now,” he concluded.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard bombed US bases in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait with drones and missiles early this morning after the United States carried out several airstrikes against military targets in Iranian territory in retaliation for the downing of a US Apache attack helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz.
Hours earlier, US President Donald Trump had written on his own social media platform, Truth, that “Iran has taken too long to negotiate a deal and will now pay the price.” Negotiations between Washington and Tehran to end the conflict remain stalled. The United States has made it a condition that Iran relinquish its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, while the Islamic Republic demands the lifting of sanctions and the release of frozen assets.
Albares calls for “dialogue and diplomacy” to achieve peace
On Wednesday, Albares referred to the need to promote “dialogue and diplomacy” to achieve peace in the Middle East. “Unilateral options will not be an option for peace, and the only viable alternative to restore peace and stability in the region is dialogue and diplomacy,” the minister declared during his participation in the Meeting of Senior Officials of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), held at the Pedralbes Palace in Barcelona.
The Senior Officials’ Meetings (SOMs) are held quarterly and are attended by ambassadors or senior officials from the foreign ministries of member countries, as well as representatives of key partners, including the EU, the EIB, the League of Arab States, ARLEM, and the Anna Lindh Foundation. Topics discussed at the meeting included the situation in the Middle East and migration. The annual results of the various Deputy Secretaries-General were also presented.
The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Senior Officials’ Meeting coincides with the end of the term of the current Secretary-General, Nasser Kamel of Egypt, with whom Albares held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines. Albares also highlighted the UfM reform and its “New Vision,” a roadmap for the coming years aimed at achieving shared stability and prosperity in the Mediterranean.
