Spanish foreign minister warns of imminent regional war in Middle East

GENEVA

The Spanish foreign minister on Wednesday warned that the world is "on the verge, if not at the beginning, of a total regional war" in the Middle East, urging immediate prevention.

"Unfortunately, we are facing a moment of escalation of war that was unthinkable a year ago. It is extremely serious," Jose Manuel Albares told Spanish radio Onda Cero.

Albares stressed that even the "rules" and "limits" of war had been exceeded and said Madrid "strongly" condemns Iran's bombing of Israel, as well as the attacks by Hezbollah and the Oct. 7, 2023 incursion by Hamas.

"We are on the brink of a total regional war and we must avoid it at all costs," he said, adding that Spain has been working since last October to prevent this situation.

“The Middle East does not need more weapons, it needs peace, dialogue, and I will not resign myself to the idea that war is the only solution in the Middle East. The solution is for a state of Palestine to exist, to live and coexist in peace with the state of Israel," he said.

Meanwhile, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles told broadcaster Antena 3 that two army planes were dispatched to Beirut to evacuate Spaniards.

Robles said 350 citizens have expressed their willingness to return to Spain.

Israel launched a devastating military offensive on the Gaza Strip after the Hamas attack, and has since killed more than 41,600 people.

The conflict also spread to Lebanon, with the Israeli army launching extensive airstrikes against what it called Hezbollah targets two weeks ago, killing more than 1,000 people and displacing tens of thousands more. The strikes also assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Iran on Tuesday fired ballistic missiles at Israel, saying it was in response to the assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Nasrallah and IRGC commander Abbas Nilforoshan.

Haniyeh was killed in Tehran in July, while Nasrallah and Nilforoshan were targeted in Beirut last week.