TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Spain on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, formally dismissed its ambassador to Israel, Ana Maria Salomon, as a diplomatic rift widens amid the US-Israel war on Iran, which Spain's government opposes.
Last September, the ambassador was summoned back to Spain after Madrid banned aircraft and ships from its ports and airspace carrying weapons to Israel.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has opposed Israel's war in Gaza, which was launched after Palestinian resistance group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, that destroyed much of the Palestinian enclave.
Sanchez said the Spanish measures in September were aimed at stopping "genocide" in Gaza.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar then accused Sanchez of antisemitism.
Israel had already withdrawn its ambassador to Madrid in 2024 after Spain recognized Palestinian statehood, and since then, has been represented by a charge d'affaires.
Israel and the US previously launched a series of attacks across Iran on February 28, marking a major escalation to the tension in the Gulf region, as Tehran retaliated by striking Israel and US assets in the Middle East.
Citing DW, Sanchez condemned the attacks as a massive breach of international law, and banning the US from using two jointly operated bases in its territory for the war against Iran.
Sanchez said Spain says "no to the violation of international law, which protects us all, especially civilians," adding that anyone who acts like the US plays "Russian roulette with the fate of millions of people."
Read: Spain Strongly Rejects Any Involvement in Attacks on Iran
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