US voices concern over Spain's restrictions on shipments to 'Israel'
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The US has criticized Spain’s decision to block ships and planes carrying weapons to "Israel", calling the move “deeply concerning”.
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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez looks on during a meeting with British PM Keir Starmer in London on September 3, 2025 (AP)
The United States has expressed concern over the Spanish government’s new measures restricting access to Spanish ports and airspace for ships and planes carrying weapons bound for "Israel".
A US State Department spokesperson said the move, announced this week by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s government, risks undermining NATO cooperation and sends the wrong signal amid escalating tensions.
“It is deeply concerning that Spain, a NATO member, has chosen to potentially limit US operations and to turn its back on Israel on the same day six individuals were killed in Jerusalem. These measures embolden terrorists,” the spokesperson told Reuters in a statement on Wednesday.
The Spanish government has not yet issued a response. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Sanchez declined to comment when asked.
The restrictions mark a significant escalation in Spain’s position toward "Israel", following months of criticism over its conduct in Gaza and growing calls within Europe for stricter controls on arms exports linked to the conflict.
What are the nine measures?
On Monday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced nine new measures aimed at stopping the “genocide in Gaza,” stating, in a televised address, “What Israel is doing is not defending itself, it is exterminating a defenseless population."
He said that although Spain has de facto been applying an export ban on weapons to "Israel" since 2023, the government will now urgently legislate a “permanent” ban, a measure that will be joined by prohibiting ships transporting fuel to Israeli forces from using Spanish ports and banning aircraft carrying defense material from Spanish airspace.
The Spanish Premier added that individuals “directly involved in the genocide, violating human rights and war crimes in Gaza” will be prohibited from entering Spain.
Other measures include banning imports from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, limiting Spanish consular services to Spanish citizens living in the occupied territories to the bare minimum, and increasing Spain’s presence in Rafah with additional troops and new joint projects with the Palestinian Authority to provide food and medicine.
Spain will also increase its contribution to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) by €10 million ($11.7 million) and commit €150 million in additional humanitarian aid for Gaza in 2026.
“We know these measures will not be enough to put an end to the war crimes, but we hope they serve to apply pressure to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people,” Sanchez stated, adding that “Spain alone cannot stop the war, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try.”
Spain against 'Israel' in sports as well
The 16th stage of La Vuelta a España, Spain's prestigious cycling race, was cut short once again on Tuesday, September 9, due to widespread anti-"Israel" demonstrations across the Galicia region.
Race organizers ended the stage 8 kilometers before the original finish line in Castro de Herville, citing safety concerns as protesters entered the course and obstructed the route.
Demonstrations have persisted since August 27, with thousands of Spaniards expressing opposition to the participation of the Israel-Premier Tech team, owned by Sylvan Adams, a close associate of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Waving Palestinian flags and chanting “This is not a war, it’s genocide” and “Freedom for Palestine,” demonstrators filled the streets throughout multiple stages of the race.
In one incident, a tree was deliberately cut so that it fell across the route, while protesters breached security lines near the final stretch of the race, forcing an abrupt early conclusion.
