Spain will not participate in any military mission in the Strait of Hormuz, as it considers the US-Israeli war against Iran to be illegal, Madrid's Defense and Foreign Affairs ministers said on Monday.
The left-wing coalition government led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has criticized the offensive and banned US aircraft from using joint military bases in southern Spain.
Defense Minister Margarita Robles rejected US President Donald Trump 's request for military support to secure this sea route, which Tehran has de facto blocked to oil tanker traffic, as well as his threats of a "very bad future" for NATO allies who will not help.
"Spain will never accept temporary measures, because the objective must be to end the war, and for it to end now," Robles said.
The situation in the strait is a major concern for Europeans, but the European Union's position must be that the war ends, regardless of economic considerations, said Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares.
"We should not do anything that would further increase tension or further escalate the situation," he told reporters in Brussels.
Several EU countries, such as Germany, Italy or Greece, have also signaled that they will not join military operations in the strait, while others, including Denmark, have not yet made a decision.