Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez told lawmakers Wednesday that the current Middle East conflict is "far worse" than the Iraq War of 2003, a dramatic claim that says more about his domestic political calculations than any genuine diplomatic insight.
Pedro Sánchez © X
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez told lawmakers Wednesday that the current Middle East conflict is "far worse" than the Iraq War of 2003, a dramatic claim that says more about his domestic political calculations than any genuine diplomatic insight.
Standing before Congress, the Socialist leader declared the conflict "illegal, absurd and cruel," warning of consequences "far more important and far deeper" than those of Iraq. Strong words. But from a leader with no leverage whatsoever in the region, they ring painfully hollow.
Spain carries zero weight in Middle Eastern affairs. Sánchez knows this. Yet he persists in positioning himself as a moral authority on the conflict, adopting stances more radical than most of his European counterparts. The question is why.
The answer is purely domestic. Deeply unpopular at home and propped up by far-left coalition partners, Sánchez is playing to his base ahead of upcoming elections. His long-standing and virulent hostility toward Israel serves as red meat for the radical left allies he so desperately needs.
The second driver is equally cynical: political marketing. Unable to win over his own citizens, he seeks international visibility by swimming against the European mainstream, hoping to trade controversy for prestige.
It won't work. On the world stage, posturing without power is just noise. And in Spain, fewer and fewer people are still listening.
A Hezbollah delegation, including family members of assassinated former Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah and slain top commander Imad Mughniyeh, travelled to Tehran Friday to attend the official ceremony paying homage to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, killed in an Israeli strike on February 28.
Lomé hosted Friday the opening of an extraordinary summit of the African Political Alliance (APA), bringing together ten African member states and representatives from Gulf countries - notably Kuwait and Qatar - to discuss the continent's response to the Middle East crisis and its far-reaching consequences for African economies.
The body of Iran's slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was lying in state in a vast hall in Tehran on Friday as clerics, officials, foreign dignitaries and other mourners paid their respects after his 37-year rule.
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