Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez makes a speech during an economic forum organized by the El Diario in Madrid, Spain on March 26, 2026. (Photo by Burak Akbulut/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“This decision is part of the decision already made by the Spanish government not to participate in or contribute to a war which was initiated unilaterally and against international law,” said one Spanish minister.
Doubling down on its status as an outlier among European countries that have largely supported or avoided speaking out forcefully against the US-Israeli war on Iran, Spain is closing its airspace to US military planes that are part of the invasion, with Defense Minister Margarita Robles on Monday calling the war “profoundly illegal and profoundly unjust.”
“We don’t authorize either the use of military bases or the use of airspace for actions related to the war in Iran,” Robles told reporters. “I think everyone knows Spain’s position. It’s very clear.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez angered President Donald Trump soon after the US and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched their war against Iran on February 28, with one of the first attacks striking a school and killing at least 160 children and teachers.
Sánchez responded to the assault by announcing the US would not be permitted to launch attacks on Iran from Spain’s military bases, prompting Trump to threaten a full trade embargo against the country in retaliation.
On Monday, Spanish Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo appeared unfazed by a reporter’s suggestion that closing the country’s airspace to the US could worsen relations with the White House.
“This decision is part of the decision already made by the Spanish government not to participate in or contribute to a war which was initiated unilaterally and against international law,” Cuerpo said simply in a radio interview.
International legal experts have said the war is clear violation of the United Nations Charter, which “prohibits the use of force against another State unless that use of force is authorized by the UN Security Council or is a necessary and proportionate act of individual or collective self-defense in response to an armed attack.”
Spain has closed its airspace to US planes involved in attacks on Iran.
All countries should follow Spain's example. US attacks on Iran have blatantly violated the UN Charter.
Sánchez told the Spanish Congress last Wednesday that the country has “denied the United States the use of the Rota [de la Frontera] and Morón bases for this illegal war.”
“All flight plans involving operations in Iran have been rejected. All of them, including those for refueling aircraft,” said Sánchez.
In the US, Progressive Mass political director Jonathan Cohn said it was “refreshing to see a European country take a hard line against the United States’ illegal and immoral wars.”
US aircraft can continue to use the airspace and land at the bases in emergency situations, and are still able to provide logistics support to 80,000 US forces stationed across Europe.
But as The Guardian reported Monday, 15 US refueling planes were diverted from the Morón de la Frontera and Rota bases to military facilities in France and Germany at the beginning of the war.
The US was also forced to find an alternative location for B-52 and B-1 bombers due to Spain’s policy, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreeing to allow Trump to send them to Fairford Air Base in Gloucestershire, England in the first days of the war.
The Seville Air Traffic Control Center has provided navigation support to B-2 Spirit bombers that have traveled from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to carry out strikes in Iran, but those planes do not enter Spanish airspace, instead crossing the Strait of Gibraltar.
Sánchez has rejected Trump’s criticism of Spain’s policy, noting that the country has also led the way in recent years in recognizing the state of Palestine and speaking out against Israel’s assault, as other European governments eventually did.
“They say that Spain is alone,” the prime minister said earlier this month. “They said the same when we recognized the state of Palestine, and then others followed. We are not alone. We are the first. Those defending the indefensible will be the ones left alone.”
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won.Keir Starmer explains that UK is participating defensively in Trump and Israel’s criminal war for Israel’s genocidal expansion in Iran and states that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.
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US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi meet within the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt on October 13, 2025. [Egyptian Presidency / Handout – Anadolu Agency]
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday appealed to his American counterpart, Donald Trump, to “end the war in the region” as the Israeli-American offensive on Iran entered its second month, Anadolu reports.
Al-Sisi made the remarks during his speech at the ninth edition of the Egypt International Energy Conference and Exhibition (EGYPS 2026) in Cairo, held from March 30 until April 1 amid a global energy crisis caused by the ongoing conflict.
“I say to President Trump, no one but you can stop the war in our region,” al-Sisi said.
“I speak to you in the name of humanity and in the name of peace-loving people… Please help us stop the war. You are capable of doing so.”
He warned of serious repercussions for regional countries, saying the crisis has caused energy shortages and rising prices, which will affect fuel, fertilizers, and agricultural products.
Al-Sisi also stressed the importance of unifying efforts to end the war.
The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively disrupted since early March, with around 20 million barrels of oil passing through it daily, representing roughly 20% of global supply. Its closure has pushed oil prices higher and raised fears of prolonged economic disruption.
The region has been on alert since the US and Israel launched an air offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people so far, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and infrastructure damage while disrupting global markets and aviation.
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
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United States President Donald Trump walks toward the White House upon his arrival in Washington, DC, from Memphis, Tennessee, United States, on March 23, 2026. [Celal Güneş – Anadolu Agency]
US President Donald Trump on Monday said negotiations with Iran to end joint US-Israeli strikes were progressing, but warned that the country’s crucial energy infrastructure would be destroyed if talks do not soon bear fruit, Anadolu reports.
“If for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately ‘Open for Business,’ we will conclude our lovely ‘stay’ in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!),” Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social.
Despite the warning, he said “serious discussions” were ongoing with a “new and more reasonable” Iranian regime.
Trump later told Bloomberg that Iran wants “to settle,” suggesting the war is going “unbelievably well.”
Iran said Monday it has held no direct negotiations with the US, saying recent contacts were limited to messages conveyed through intermediaries. Regional countries have sought to broker an agreement between the sides, with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar signaling Islamabad would be willing to host talks.
On Sunday, Trump had encouraged diplomatic efforts, with intermediaries including Pakistan, Turkiye, and Egypt involved in indirect contacts between Washington and Tehran. He said indirect talks via Pakistani “emissaries” were progressing, adding: “A deal could be made fairly quickly.”
Many senior Iranian officials are among the 1,340 people killed in the air offensive the US and Israel launched against Iran on Feb. 28, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and infrastructure damage while disrupting global markets and aviation.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/Orcas discuss rotting brain. Front Orca says “Wish someone would lock him up”.
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The United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to the press before the United States President Donald Trump departs the White House en route Miami, Florida on March 20, 2026, in Washington DC. [Celal Güneş – Anadolu Agency]
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that Washington is close to achieving its objectives in Iran “in a matter of weeks,” adding that President Donald Trump has “a number of options available” to prevent Iran from controlling the Strait of Hormuz, Anadolu reports.
During an interview with ABC News, Rubio said that the US is focused on the “destruction” of Iran’s air force, navy, and factories where they make all their weapons, as well as the substantial reduction in the number of missiles they possess.
“All of those objectives are being met, on or ahead of schedule and should be able to achieve in a matter of weeks,” he said.
On the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Rubio said Trump has “a number of options available” to prevent Iran from imposing control or a tolling system on the vital waterway.
“The president has a number of options available to him if he so chooses to prevent that from happening. … Obviously, I’m not going to discuss what those options are, and we’re not going to discuss military tactics,” he added.
The US and Israel have been carrying out airstrikes on Iran since Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and infrastructure damage while disrupting global markets and aviation.
At least 13 US service members have been killed since the war began, and the conflict has driven up energy prices and affected shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which is a critical global oil chokepoint, with a significant portion of global oil shipments passing through it.
The US has sent Iran a 15-point plan to end the war and outlined steps regarding Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, as well as maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran rejected the proposal and outlined five conditions for ending the war, including a halt to attacks, guarantees against renewed conflict, recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, and reparations for war damages.
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
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Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz holds a security situation assessment meeting with Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, Head of the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate (AMAN) Shlomi Binder and other senior commanders in Tel Aviv, Israel, on March 07, 2026. [Israeli Ministry of Defense – Anadolu Agency]
A warning by Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir about a potential army “collapse” due to troop shortages has triggered a wave of political reactions in Israel, with opposition figures backing the assessment and allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu questioning its motives, Anadolu reports.
Israel’s military is currently engaged in conflicts in Iran and Lebanon while continuing strikes in Gaza. The army has also deployed additional forces to the occupied West Bank amid rising violence by Israeli occupiers, which necessitates sending more soldiers there, while ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredi) refuse military service.
While the army has been using its aircraft to attack Iran since Feb. 28, it announced the deployment of four military divisions to southern Lebanon and is deploying large forces in the West Bank, in addition to the forces present in Gaza.
“More than 100,000 reservists are deployed across all fronts, but the army still needs around 15,000 additional troops, including 7,000 to 8,000 combat soldiers,” military spokesperson Effie Defrin told a press briefing Thursday.
A day earlier, Zamir warned in a closed meeting of the Security Cabinet that the army could face “collapse” if the manpower shortage is not addressed, citing expanding missions in southern Lebanon and continued control over roughly half of Gaza.
He explained that the scope of the tasks is “constantly increasing,” with the expansion of military operations in southern Lebanon, and the continued control of about half of Gaza.
“But the number of soldiers is decreasing, especially after the cancellation of the extension of service for regular soldiers, which exacerbates the crisis,” he added.
Amir Yissscharoff, an analyst at Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, told Anadolu that Zamir’s warning was “professional, even as pro-government factions tried to cast it as political.”
Zamir spoke after the government legalized dozens of settlement outposts in the West Bank and as violence by Israeli occupiers escalated, alongside multiple security threats from Iran, Lebanon and Gaza, Yissscharoff said.
“Zamir sounded the alarm about a crisis, and his message was directed primarily at the Israeli domestic audience — he spoke before Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz and other political and military officials,” he said, adding that the message was clear: “We face a problem, and given the military’s expanding missions, everyone must be drafted — including the ultra-Orthodox.”
Attacking Zamir and labeling his remarks as political “misses the point,” Yissscharoff said. “He is addressing a professional problem. Zamir is not the problem; Netanyahu is.”
Haredi draft
Zamir’s remarks came as Netanyahu continued to stall on a military draft bill.
The opposition, along with factions within the nationalist right, argues that everyone — including the ultra-Orthodox — must serve, while the religious parties Shas and United Torah Judaism are pushing for legislation that would formally exempt seminary students from military service.
Opposition parties accuse Netanyahu of shielding the religious parties to preserve his governing coalition, dubbing the proposed measure the “draft evasion law.”
Israel’s Supreme Court ruled in June 2024 that Haredi must be drafted and ordered a halt to state funding for religious institutions whose students refuse to serve.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews make up roughly 13% of Israel’s population of approximately 9.7 million. They do not serve in the military, citing religious devotion to Torah study.
While Israeli law requires all citizens over 18 to serve, the Haredi exemption has fueled controversy for decades — a debate that has grown sharper amid Israel’s multiple wars and mounting military casualties, with secular parties demanding the ultra-Orthodox share what they call the “burden of war.”
The current Knesset’s term expires in October, when general elections are expected unless early elections are called. The Knesset passed the 2026 state budget Sunday, allowing the government to avert early elections — a result attributed largely to Netanyahu securing Haredi party support, even without passing legislation cementing their draft exemption.
Yissscharoff stressed that Netanyahu needs the religious parties, and it is in their interest for the government to remain in power.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid sought to capitalize on Zamir’s remarks ahead of the expected elections.
“I want to warn Israeli citizens that we are facing a security catastrophe,” Lapid wrote Thursday on the US social media company X.
“Over 13 years, I served on Israel’s most important security councils and committees — as prime minister, foreign minister, finance minister and a member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee,” he said. “Throughout all those years, I cannot recall a warning as severe as the one issued by the chief of staff.”
According to Lapid, the army chief told the Security Cabinet he no longer has the means to continue mobilizing reservists, with some soldiers now on their sixth and seventh rotations since October 2023.
“They are completely exhausted,” Lapid said, adding that Zamir also informed the Cabinet that regular forces are in a state of total collapse and that the military does not have enough troops to carry out its missions.
“The government’s continued encouragement of ultra-Orthodox draft evasion constitutes a security threat,” he said, adding that Zamir presented a series of threats, “most of which cannot be mentioned on camera, but the bottom line is: the government is sending the army into a multi-front war with no strategy, no resources and too few soldiers.
“The government will not be able to claim this time that it didn’t know. This is their appointed chief of staff, and they will not be able to politicize him or blame him. From now on, Netanyahu cannot escape responsibility,” Lapid said, calling on the government to immediately cut funding to draft evaders and deploy military police against those who flee service.
He also called on the government to “combat Jewish terrorism by all means” and strip authority from National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir “who publicly supports Jewish terrorists.”
A cry for help
Yair Golan, former deputy chief of staff and leader of the opposition Democrats party, said Zamir’s remarks are “not merely a warning — they are a massive black flag waving over the government’s policy.”
“When the highest military official tells the Cabinet during wartime that the army is struggling to fulfill its missions because of government policy, that is not a situation assessment — it is a cry for help,” he wrote on X.
“A government that continues this policy is one that has abandoned security. It is a dangerous government that promotes Jewish terrorism, draft evasion, and combines anti-Zionism with antisemitism,” he said.
“Despite all the warnings, the government continues to establish more outposts, supports and arms rioters (occupiers), and the result is direct damage to the army’s ability to carry out its real missions. Whoever continues this policy in wartime bears direct responsibility for harming state security,” Golan added.
Former Defense Minister and Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman said on X that Zamir warned draft evasion “is harming Israel’s security.”
“The government, as usual, is ignoring warnings before disaster strikes. The army is facing the worst manpower shortage in its history, and everyone must be drafted,” Lieberman added.
Israel has occupied Palestinian territories and land in Lebanon and Syria for decades, and continues to reject withdrawal or the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
