Spanish premier reiterates call for immediate end to Middle East war

Spain's prime minister on Monday reiterated his call for an immediate end to the ongoing war in the Middle East, warning that further escalation would bring a "devastating global setback."

"We all desire a prosperous and peaceful Middle East," Pedro Sanchez wrote on US social media company X, following phone conversations with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Jordan's King Abdullah II, and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Spain demands the immediate end to this war, Sanchez said.

"An escalation of the conflict would mean a devastating global setback," he added.

The region has been on alert since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people to date, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, and has restricted the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.