Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez: The world is facing a major catastrophe

Speaking in Parliament, Sanchez said, "This is not the same scenario as the illegal war in Iraq. We are facing a much larger catastrophe with much broader and deeper impacts."

Sanchez recalled that approximately 300 thousand people lost their lives and more than 5 million people were displaced during the Iraq War, emphasizing that the current situation is more dangerous. He stated that the reason for this is that Iran is a powerful military actor that has been preparing for such a war for the last 40 years.

Expressing that Iran's population is twice that of Iraq and its influence on the global economy is five times greater, Sanchez said the country has more soldiers than Germany, France, and Italy combined and can control the Strait of Hormuz with ballistic missiles with a range of 4 thousand kilometers.

Permission for US bases denied

Sanchez also announced that Spain did not grant permission for the use of military bases in Morón and Rota for US and Israeli attacks against Iran. He stated that this decision was made despite Washington's threat to cut off trade relations.

The Prime Minister said the attacks took place at a time when negotiations were ongoing between the US and Iran, and that the US President began bombing Iran just two days after rejecting an opportunity for a deal. He stated that these attacks were carried out "without a legal basis, without informing allies, and without a clear objective."

The heavy toll of the war

Sanchez also touched upon the effects of the war to date:

"More than 3 thousand targets were hit. More than 40 thousand homes, hospitals, and schools were destroyed. Energy infrastructures, where 20% of the world's gas production takes place, were damaged. At least 2 thousand people lost their lives. Hundreds of thousands of people became refugees."

Sanchez emphasized that the economic and humanitarian effects of this destruction will last for years.

"No one knows the future"

Drawing attention to the uncertainty regarding how the war will end, Sanchez said, "Frankly, no one knows what will happen, and that is the greatest tragedy."

He touched upon the possibility of the Strait of Hormuz remaining closed and the war lasting for months or even years.

Saying, "This time, the Iraq nightmare could return even larger," Sanchez said Spain will work to protect its citizens from the consequences of this war.

Furthermore, in his criticism of the US, he stated, "Being an ally does not mean blind obedience. It means telling the truth, and the truth is that this war is a major mistake."

Harsh reaction from the opposition

Main opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo criticized Sanchez with harsh words. Claiming that the Iranian regime thanked Sanchez, Feijóo referred to a fake video circulating on social media that allegedly showed Iranian soldiers pasting a photo of Sanchez onto missiles.

Accusing the government of "hypocrisy," Feijóo said, "It is difficult to defend peace if the Iranian regime is putting your face on its missiles." He also criticized the government's anti-war rhetoric despite Spain increasing its defense spending.