Spanish PM faces ICC war crimes petition over exports to Iran

Israeli legal advocacy group files petition with International Criminal Court calling for war crimes probe of Spain’s prime minister, accusing him of allowing the sale of dual-use equipment to Iran.

By World Israel News Staff

An Israeli legal advocacy group has asked the International Criminal Court to open an investigation into Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, accusing him of helping enable Iranian attacks by approving exports of dual-use components that could be used in detonators and other explosive applications.

The filing was submitted by the Shurat HaDin organization under Article 15 of the Rome Statute.

Shurat HaDin said the Spanish government had approved roughly 1.3 million euros’ worth of the products in 2024 and 2025 and argued there was a “reasonable and credible basis” for the ICC prosecutor to investigate Sánchez for possible complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The group also asked prosecutors to seek an arrest warrant and to examine the role of other Spanish officials involved in the export decisions.

The complaint says the components were “required by the regime in Tehran and its proxies for military purposes,” which Shurat HaDin said constituted direct material support for Iran’s war effort and for attacks carried out by Iranian-backed forces.

The case lands amid a rapidly worsening confrontation between Washington and Jerusalem on one hand and Madrid on the other.

Last week, Sánchez closed Spanish airspace to American aircraft involved in the war with Iran. He has also renewed his push for the European Union to suspend its association agreement with Israel.

Sánchez has also sharply escalated his rhetoric against Israel.

During his Beijing visit, he said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “contempt for life and international law is intolerable,” and declared that “international law is today fundamentally being violated by one country, which is the government of Israel.”

Spain recently moved to reopen its embassy in Tehran, making it the first Western country to do so during the current crisis, even as Madrid presented the step as part of an effort to promote peace.

There was no immediate public response from Spanish officials to the ICC filing.

The court itself has not indicated whether it will act on the submission.

ICCInternational Criminal CourtShurat HaDinSpainWar Crimes