Israeli NGO files war crimes complaint against Spain's PM Sánchez over alleged aid to Iran

An Israeli NGO has filed a war crimes complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague against Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. 

The filing was made by the Israeli legal organization Shurat HaDin, and argues that there is a “reasonable and credible basis” for investigating the Spanish prime minister for providing material assistance to the Iranian regime with a supply of dual-use components linked to explosives. 

According to the filing, which was sent to the ICC prosecutor under Article 15 of the Rome Statute, several Spanish exports to Iran – estimated at €1.3 million ($US1.5 million) between 2024 and 2025 – are not industrial products, but “dual use” products whose potential military application was "foreseeable and probable.” 

The filing alleges that these critical elements, including detonators and other explosive-related materials, are “functionally critical” for manufacturing explosive devices, and that their provision could be considered material support for the regime’s weapons development. 

Shurat HaDin’s legal argument is based on the principle that providing the means to commit a crime can establish complicity in that crime. The organization also noted Iran’s longstanding practice of arming proxy terror groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and Houthi rebels, which it says rely on Iranian support to acquire or produce rockets and other weapons used to target civilian areas. 

The NGO argues that the misuse of the components was foreseeable, given Iran’s history of support for the terror groups, and cited public reporting in media, as well as in regulatory frameworks and public debate, taking place in Spain during the time the exports were made. 

Shurat HaDin also argues that the Spanish government is inconsistent; on the one hand, openly criticizing Israel, and accusing it of genocide in Gaza, while on the other, approving the transfer of components likely to strengthen the military capabilities of Tehran and its proxies. 

The complaint also cited internal Spanish political criticism, noting that opposition politicians warned against a policy that could “indirectly support the Iranian war effort.” 

Additionally, regime-affiliated media outlets in Iran have broadcast images of missiles bearing stickers with the image of Pedro Sánchez accompanied by the words “Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister,” suggesting that the regime views the Spanish government as supportive.

Shurat HaDin's president, lawyer Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, said, “The responsibility does not stop with the one who pulls the trigger, but extends to those who provide the means to allow the attack.” 

The NGO called on the ICC to open a formal investigation, examining the role that Sánchez and other politicians may have played in authorizing the exports.