ISTANBUL

The Socialists and Democrats (S&D) Group in the European Parliament voiced strong support for Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday after he criticized US and Israeli strikes on Iran and reportedly blocked US warplanes from using Spanish bases to launch attacks in the Middle East.

“Pedro Sánchez and his government have our full support,” the S&D Group said on the US social media company X, praising Spain for choosing “dignity and international law over yet another illegal war.”

“Trump’s threats will hit a wall: the EU’s trade power,” the group added.

“We stand united. Our sovereignty and our principles are not negotiable,” it further added.

Earlier, The Party of European Socialists (PES) expressed support for Sanchez after he criticized US and Israeli strikes on Iran, stressing the need to uphold international law and diplomacy amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.

“We will not be intimidated by unacceptable threats,” the PES said in a statement on X, voicing “full support” for Sanchez and Spain.

“Standing up for international law, multilateralism, and Europe’s strategic autonomy is our shared duty -- and we will stand firm,” the group said on Tuesday.

The statement also condemned the Iranian government’s repression of its citizens but emphasized that European leaders must remain committed to the principles on which the EU was founded.

“While we remain unequivocal in our condemnation of the Iranian regime’s oppression of its people, we must hold fast to the principles upon which the EU was built,” the PES said.

Sanchez earlier rejected the “unilateral military action” carried out by the US and Israel against Iran, warning that it represents an escalation and contributes to “a more uncertain and hostile international order.”

Trump has threatened to cut off trade with Spain, calling it a “terrible” ally, after Madrid refused to let the US use its military bases in the country to attack Iran.

Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares has also warned that the escalation could have wide-ranging consequences.

Albares said the crisis carries “unpredictable consequences,” including possible disruption in the Strait of Hormuz and rising global oil prices, while calling for de-escalation and renewed diplomatic efforts.

Spain also condemned retaliatory attacks by Iran targeting Gulf countries following the operation.

Israel and the US announced early Saturday that they had launched a joint military operation against Iran, citing threats posed by what they described as the Iranian regime.

Tehran, asserting its right to self-defense, responded with drone and missile attacks targeting Israel and US-linked sites in several Gulf states, prompting multiple countries in the region to temporarily close their airspace.

Tensions between Israel and Iran have remained high since last year’s 12-day conflict, during which the US also struck three Iranian nuclear facilities.