Spain says still deliberating whether to join US-led naval mission in Red Sea

MADRID — Spain’s Socialist government says it has still not decided whether it will take part in an international coalition led by the United States to quell Houthi attacks on ships transiting the Red Sea.

“Spain will never participate in an operation from a unilateral point of view. All decisions will always be taken under the umbrella of the European Union and NATO,” government spokeswoman Pilar Alegria tells a news conference.

The United States on Monday announced a 10-nation coalition to quell the Houthi missile and drone attacks on ships transiting the Red Sea, with Britain, France, Bahrain and Italy among the countries joining the “multinational security initiative.”

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the security coalition also included the United States, Canada, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain.

But Spain’s defense ministry said Tuesday the country “depends on the decisions of the European Union and NATO and, therefore, will not participate unilaterally.”

The head of Spain’s conservative opposition Popular Party, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, told a separate news conference that Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had told him that Madrid had “decided not to intervene, at least not intervene in the conditions requested by the United States.” He did not elaborate.