Spain joins the European defense of Cyprus and sends a frigate

Brussels / BarcelonaThe day after Pedro Sánchez's "No to war"The Spanish government has announced it will send military support to Cyprus and is becoming involved for the first time in the Iran-Iraq War. Spain's participation will be strictly defensive, aimed at protecting a European Union member state. Furthermore, it will collaborate jointly with other European partners, such as Italy and the Netherlands. This aid will be in addition to that already sent this week by France, Greece, and the United Kingdom. Specifically, the Spanish government will send a warship. Christopher Columbus, which will accompany the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and other ships of the Greek Navy. The frigate joined the Naval Group on March 3 to perform escort, protection, and advanced training duties in the Baltic Sea. Now, the group will head towards the Eastern Mediterranean to reach the coast of Crete around March 10. In addition to the Christopher ColumbusThe supply ship will also briefly put to sea. Cantabriato supply fuel and provide logistical support during the Naval Group's transit through the Gulf of Cádiz.

Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles has emphasized that the operation's objective is "to defend peace" and is framed within a context of solidarity with the European Union. In this way, the Socialist leader wanted to make it clear that it is not about reinforcing the US and Israeli offensive against Iran, which the Moncloa Palace has categorically refused to support. In a message on TV this Thursday afternoon, Sánchez reaffirmed his "No to war" stance and offered aid to another country affected by the conflict, namely Lebanon. The Spanish president conveyed his "full support" to the "Lebanese people" in a conversation with their president, Joseph Aoun, and asked that "there be no more destruction."

The Sumar coalition has endorsed the same interpretation regarding Cyprus. "It's a defensive action within the framework of the EU. All the ministries were very well informed, including those in Sumar," stated Yolanda Díaz. Podemos, on the other hand, has criticized the decision. "It implies participating in an illegal war," opined the party's general secretary, Ione Belarra. Santiago Abascal (Vox) has labeled Sánchez a "liar" for sending the frigate after proclaiming his opposition to war.

"The Christopher Columbus It is our most technologically advanced frigate. Its mission in the Mediterranean will be to provide air protection and defense. In this way, we will complement the capabilities of our battery. Patriot "deployed in Turkey," the Ministry of Defense stated in a press release. It added that the frigate will be ready to support any evacuation of civilian personnel affected by the conflict, and that this military support demonstrates Spain's commitment to "the defense of the EU and its eastern border." Beyond Spain, the Italian and Dutch navies have also sent frigates to the Eastern Mediterranean. Sources at the Élysée Palace announced that French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis agreed to coordinate the deployment of military resources sent to Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean and to guarantee freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. Italy has gone a step further and, like France and the United Kingdom, decided this Thursday to provide air defense and anti-missile systems to the Gulf countries. However, Meloni emphasized that Italy "is not at war" and who also does not want to "enter into war." The Italian Defense Minister even asserted that the US and Israeli attack "clearly violated international law." In this regard, the Italian leader pointed out that if the United States requests the use of American bases on Italian territory, Parliament must be consulted first. "The world has descended further into chaos," the Prime Minister summarized. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Thursday that he will send four additional Typhoon fighter jets to reinforce the UK's defensive operations in Qatar and throughout the Middle East region. Downing Street also confirmed that the Iranian drones intercepted at the British military base in Cyprus were not launched from Iran. Paris, Rome, and London are all appealing to a sense of solidarity in sending aid to states attacked by Iran, and the European Union has issued a joint statement in the same vein. in which they reaffirm "the historic alliance" between the European bloc and the Gulf states, and call on Iran to "immediately" halt the attacks. However, the statement makes no mention whatsoever of the United States or Israel, nor of the fact that they started the war.

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides thanked both Sánchez and Meloni for the military aid they have allocated to the island's protection and reaffirmed his commitment to protecting an EU partner like Cyprus. "This gesture reflects the close relations between our countries and the solidarity shared by the member states of the European Union," the Cypriot leader tweeted.

Tensions over Spanish military bases

The option of providing military support to Cyprus comes amid high tension between the Trump administration and the government of Pedro Sánchez. This Wednesday, in fact,The White House claimed that Spain had agreed to "cooperate militarily" with the U.S. After the government assured that it would not authorize the use of the US military bases in Rota and Morón, La Moncloa, annoyed, quickly denied it and reiterated that this assistance would not be provided.

Robles, in an interview on Cadena Ser, has once again made it clear that Spain's position has not changed And she insisted on differentiating the military support for Cyprus, framed as a defense, from the attack the United States is carrying out in Iran: "We don't believe in wars," she asserted, and reiterated that the use of these military bases will not be authorized. Regarding the reason for the White House spokesperson's words, the Minister of Defense sought to close the matter by suggesting that they had spread misinformation: "They know it's not true. Words are carried away by the wind. I won't speculate; obviously, it could be a retreat they're trying to make after Trump's inappropriate statements."

Robles met yesterday with the ambassador of United States in Spain, But she denies that this meeting could be the origin of the White House spokeswoman's remarks, in which she asserted Spain's military support for the war against Iran: "When she was speaking, I was still meeting with the ambassador; therefore, it's impossible," Robles said. This Thursday, sources at La Moncloa emphasized the same issue and spoke of a "deliberate manipulation" of the minister's meeting with the US representative: "Manipulating a casual, courtesy conversation to turn it into a political statement is more than just lying," the sources pointed out after the People's Party (PP) released a video manipulating footage of the meeting. In the video, the minister says "no, no, I'm comfortable" to the ambassador, while the PP subtitled the video "no, no, I'm with Trump." "This demonstrates their lack of credibility," sources at La Moncloa responded.

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares has also reiterated that there has been "no change" regarding the possible use of the Rota and Morón air bases by the U.S. military. "I have no idea," he said when asked about the White House's statements on Thursday on Catalunya Ràdio. "The important thing is the decision of the Spanish government, which is very clear," he concluded. "Spain stands on the side of international law, on de-escalation, and on returning to the negotiating table," he added.