Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez Reaffirms 'No to War' Stance One Month Into Iran Conflict

Pedro Sánchez, Spain's Prime Minister and Secretary General of the PSOE, sent a letter to party members on Sunday, March 29, 2026, reaffirming his government's "No to war" stance one month after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28. Sánchez described the four-word slogan as containing "the memory, the dignity and the commitment of a country," and told members they were "on the right side" of history. The letter catalogued the human and economic toll of the conflict: over 2,000 lives lost, four million people displaced from their homes, broken supply chains, surging oil and gas prices, and a looming food crisis. Writing on Palm Sunday, Sánchez cast the moment as one that defines political purpose, telling members: "There are moments when one remembers why one is in politics. This is one of them."

„Spain can say something that not everyone can say: that it speaks clearly, that it acts consistently and that it does not renounce its principles. Today there are many people who feel proud of our country. And that pride is also yours.” — Pedro Sánchez via Europa Press

Spain's collective opposition to military conflict has deep roots in the mass protests of 2003, when millions of Spaniards took to the streets to oppose the invasion of Iraq under then-Prime Minister José María Aznar's government. Aznar, a member of the conservative Partido Popular, supported the US-led coalition despite overwhelming public opposition at home. The protests became a defining moment in Spanish political memory, and the slogan "No to war" gained wide resonance. Sánchez, who was a young socialist at the time, has repeatedly invoked those demonstrations as the origin of his current stance.

Five-billion-euro shield approved to cushion war's economic blow Sánchez used the letter to defend the government's economic response to the crisis, highlighting a royal decree-law ratified by Congress the previous Thursday. He described the package as "the largest social and economic shield in the entire European Union," allocating 5,000 million euros to protect 20 million households and 3 million companies from the most damaging consequences of the conflict. The letter warned that the effects of the war "are already entering our homes," citing rising electricity bills, higher grocery costs, and increased mortgage payments. Sánchez framed the measures as proof that socialist governance translates principles into concrete action. El Confidencial noted, however, that the letter did not mention a separate royal decree-law still pending ratification that includes specific measures on rent, agreed after negotiations with coalition partner Sumar.

Households: 20, Companies: 3

Sánchez targets Feijóo's "ambiguity" without naming him directly Without naming him directly, Sánchez attacked the position of opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo and the Partido Popular, accusing them of hiding "in ambiguity when it is necessary to take a stand." He wrote that "there are those who, yesterday as today, hesitate when they must be firm" and "those who speak of peace, but never bother those who make war." The letter drew a direct line between Aznar's support for the Iraq war in 2003 and what Sánchez portrayed as the PP's current equivocation on the Iran conflict. Sánchez also cited his government's record on other conflicts — support for Ukraine against Russian aggression and demands to halt what he called the "genocide" in Gaza — as evidence of consistent principle. According to a CIS barometer cited by El Mundo, 69.2% of Spaniards expressed rejection of the actions carried out by the United States and Israel in Iran, with that figure rising to 89% among voters who backed the Socialists in the 2023 elections.

Party figures rally behind Sánchez as Spain eyes global progressive role Diana Morant, Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities and Secretary General of the PSPV-PSOE, highlighted what she described as the "luck" of having Sánchez's leadership during the crisis, according to reporting by 20 Minutos. Morant warned that the effects of the war would last for years. Sánchez closed the letter by positioning Spain as "a reference for many progressives around the world and for all those who believe in peace, justice, humanity and the bare minimum of common sense." He addressed party members directly, writing: "Thank you for being the soul of this party. Thank you for sharing this path with me." The Wall Street Journal, according to La Vanguardia, portrayed Sánchez as a reference point for political opposition to Donald Trump's administration. The letter arrived as peace talks in the Russia-Ukraine conflict remained ongoing, adding to a broader European debate about the continent's posture toward armed conflict and American foreign policy.

„When Socialists are in Government, we act accordingly. We mobilized with Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. We demanded that the Palestinian genocide in Gaza stop. And now we shout, loud and clear, that this illegal war has to end now.” — Pedro Sánchez via El País