Spanish foreign minister says dialogue, negotiation key to ‘stable and prosperous’ Mideast

ISTANBUL

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares on Sunday reiterated his call for dialogue and negotiation as key to a “stable and prosperous” Middle East during a call with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi.

"The Iranian attacks must cease. Spain calls on the parties to exercise restraint and de-escalation. Dialogue and negotiation are the solution for a stable and prosperous region," Albares said on the US social media platform X.

He added that they discussed the “terrible human and economic consequences” of the war in the Middle East, as well as the situation in Gaza, the West Bank, and “brutal violence in Lebanon.”

The US and Israel on Feb. 28 launched an air offensive on Iran, so far killing over 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.