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Israeli FM slams Spain for reopening embassy in Tehran

Gideon Sa’ar called Spain’s decision to reopen its Tehran embassy shameful amid Iran’s renewed executions of dissidents.

Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares speaks to the media as he arrives for a Foreign Affairs Council to discuss Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, in Brussels on March 16, 2026. Photo by Nicolas Tucat / AFP via Getty Images.
Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares speaks to the media as he arrives for a Foreign Affairs Council to discuss Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, in Brussels on March 16, 2026.
Photo by Nicolas Tucat / AFP via Getty Images.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Thursday condemned Spain’s decision to reopen its embassy in Tehran, accusing Madrid of aligning itself with “the Iranian terror regime.”

Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares announced the move earlier Thursday, saying the country hoped “to achieve peace in the region.” Albares said he had instructed Spain’s ambassador to return to Tehran and resume duties “from every possible quarter, including from the Iranian capital itself.”

Sa’ar wrote on X that Iran was “resuming the execution of its citizens, protesters and political dissidents,” calling Spain’s decision “an eternal disgrace.”

Spain said last month it had permanently withdrawn its ambassador to Israel as relations between Madrid and Jerusalem plunged to a new low over the left-wing Spanish government’s opposition to the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran’s regime.

Israel brought its ambassador home last year in protest of Spain’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar criticized the Spanish policy at the time, calling it “antisemitic.”

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has long been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, leading one of Europe’s most anti-Israel governments as he concomitantly faces domestic pressure from ongoing corruption allegations.

The Socialist leader has also angered U.S. President Donald Trump by refusing to let the United States use Spanish military bases for strikes against Iran.

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