"This is an absolute disaster"

Sánchez addressed Congress, stating that since the beginning of the conflict on February 28, nearly 2,000 deaths have been recorded, over four million people have been displaced in Iran and Lebanon, approximately €12 billion of public funds have been spent on military operations, and tourism, maritime trade, and global air traffic have been affected, reported Pais.

“Prices of hydrocarbons, raw materials, and food have risen drastically, threatening the basic economic functions of the world,” Sánchez emphasized.

The Prime Minister noted that the conflict also negatively impacts Spain—bringing higher fuel prices, a drop in the Ibex 35 stock index, and losses of more than €100 billion for Spanish companies in just one month.

“And all this for what? To undermine international law, destabilize the Middle East, reignite conflicts in Iraq and Lebanon, and bury Gaza under the ruins of neglect and indifference. This is an absolute disaster,” he said.

“What we can be certain of is that this conflict will not lead to higher wages, more affordable housing, or better public services. That is the real tragedy,” he added, noting that “the last thing the world needs is another war.”

He stressed that Spain acted sovereignly by rejecting the U.S. request to use the Spanish airbases in Rota and Morón, and carried out the largest evacuation in its history, relocating 8,000 citizens from the Middle East.

“We are a sovereign nation that does not wish to participate in illegal wars,” he stated.

He also said the government established “the largest social security network in the EU,” providing direct aid of €5 billion, tax relief, and protection for households and businesses from the consequences of the war.

Sánchez reminded that the U.S. and Israeli attacks began at a time when Americans had the nuclear deal with Iran “in their hands,” but they abandoned it “without explanation, without informing allies, and without legal basis.”

“The White House claimed it acted because Iran was supposedly two weeks away from acquiring nuclear weapons, yet several senior officials from U.S. security agencies and departments publicly stated that ‘Iran did not pose an immediate threat to the West,’” the Spanish Prime Minister emphasized, highlighting that this conflict is triggering a global crisis whose consequences are felt worldwide.