KING Felipe has called for ‘restraint’ in the Middle East amid US-Israeli attacks on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory actions across the region.
The monarch made his remarks during a speech at the Royal Palace in Madrid on Thursday where he was hosting a visit by the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.
Felipe said: “There should be restraint in the use of force, maximum respect for the life and safety of the civilian population and the search for diplomatic solutions, and also for the guarantee of freedoms and human rights in the face of repression.”
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The King also expressed ‘enormous concern’ over the critical and especially dangerous situation unfolding’ in the Middle East and the Gulf region.
“The risk to which such a large and strategically important region is subjected moves us to convey our deepest solidarity to the countries that are suffering the serious collateral damage of the conflict,” he stated.
He further called for a Europe ‘with greater strategic sovereignty which moves towards a genuine Europe of security and defence, even more firmly rooted in solidarity and responsibility, even more open and prosperous, even more capable of clearly asserting its voice in the world and preserving the inalienable principles that make up our common identity.”
Meanwhile, Spain’s Culture Minister, Ernest Urtasun, has told Channel 4 in the UK that there is a ‘growing sense’ within the European Union that it is ‘completely useless’ to continue appealing to President Donald Trump over the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
“I think that there is a growing sense at the EU level that it’s completely useless to continue appealing to Donald Trump’s vanity or personal interests. I mean, this is over,” said Urtasun.
He stressed that they cannot agree to ‘play down’ their own values and interests ‘to please Donald Trump’.
“I think there’s a moment where democratic countries who believe in international law and multilateralism have to stand up. There’s no other choice,” Urtasun stated when asked why Madrid has been opposing Washington for attacking Iran.
He noted that if repeated violations and the dismissal of international law are simply accepted, the question becomes: “What kind of world are we going to build in the 21st century?”
“At a certain moment, we need to say no. We need to say stop,” Urtasun added.
He also reaffirmed that Spain is not afraid of Washington’s trade threats, underlining that it is ‘very difficult’ to take such threats seriously.
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