Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz on Monday criticized European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s comments on the war in Iran and the rules-based international system, saying the European Union must insist on respect for international law.
"We must demand respect for international law. Anything else is barbarity,” Diaz told reporters in Brussels. "That’s why what Ursula von der Leyen just said falls short.”
Earlier Monday, von der Leyen gave a speech to ambassadors in which she defended the idea that Europe needs a "more realistic and interest-driven foreign policy” that goes beyond the "old world order" based on the rules-based international system.
"You will hear different views about whether the conflict in Iran is a war of choice or a war of necessity,” she said. "But I believe this debate partly misses the point because Europe must focus on the reality of the situation to see the world as it actually is today.”
Spain has been an outspoken critic of the joint U.S.-Israeli operation in Iran, refusing to allow Washington to use its military bases to launch attacks.
