An Israeli non-governmental organisation has submitted a formal complaint to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague requesting an investigation into Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for alleged complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The complaint was lodged yesterday by Shurat HaDin (also known as the Israel Law Centre), a right-wing Israeli group that advocates for victims of terrorism and has pursued legal actions against perceived enemies of Israel worldwide, under Article 15 of the Rome Statute.
It urges the ICC Prosecutor to open a formal probe and consider issuing an arrest warrant for Sánchez and other senior Spanish officials involved in export licensing decisions.
According to the filing, Spain authorised the export of approximately €1.3 million worth of dual-use components to Iran between 2024 and the first half of 2025.
Since Sánchez took office in 2018, there has been close to €6 million in dual-use exports to Iran with potential military and nuclear applications and machinery shipments alone reached about €68 million in 2024.
These items are said to include materials linked to detonators and other explosive-related applications, which the group describes as “functionally critical” for activating explosive devices.
Israeli non-governmental organisation (NGO) Shurat HaDin argues that the transfers constituted material assistance to Iran and its proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.
“These materials are not innocent industrial products, but critical components that enable explosive devices to function, and they were transferred in circumstances where their use for attacks against civilians was foreseeable and reasonable,” the organisation stated.
It cites data from Spain’s trade ministry as the basis for the export figures and notes Iran’s documented pattern of supplying such materiel to allied militant groups.
Shurat HaDin President Nitsana Darshan-Leitner added: “You cannot condemn Israel on the international stage while at the same time helping a regime that arms terrorist organisations and attacks innocent civilians.”
The complaint also references Iranian media imagery showing missiles carrying a poster of Sánchez, thanking him in Farsi and English for condemning the war.
Spain’s Prime Minister is now facing a complaint at the International Criminal Court.
Shurat HaDin has filed an ICC complaint against Pedro Sánchez, alleging Spain enabled the transfer of dual-use components to Iran worth €1.3 million.
These dual-use components are not… pic.twitter.com/dJVilxR6Y6
— Shurat HaDin – שורת הדין (@ShuratHaDin) April 15, 2026
The move comes amid severely strained relations between Madrid and Jerusalem.
Ties deteriorated sharply after the October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel and the subsequent Gaza conflict, with Spain becoming one of the most vocal European critics of Israeli military operations.
Madrid recognised the State of Palestine in 2024, leading both countries to withdraw their ambassadors.
Sánchez has also publicly opposed aspects of Israel’s and the US actions against Iran, including strikes that began in February 2026.
The Spanish PM also shut Spanish airspace to US military flights, barred the US from using the Rota naval base and Morón air base.
There was no immediate comment from Spanish officials or the Prime Minister’s office on the complaint.
The ICC has not yet decided whether to open a preliminary examination.
Article 15 filings invite the Prosecutor to assess whether there is a “reasonable basis” to proceed, but do not automatically trigger an investigation.
Shurat HaDin has previously filed similar actions in international courts on terrorism-related matters.
The right-wing Spanish party Vox has repeatedly accused Sánchez of maintaining “suspiciously close” ties to the Iranian regime, describing him as “the ayatollahs’ best friend in Europe”.
During parliamentary debates on the Iran conflict in March 2026, Abascal accused Sánchez of endangering Spanish security through his “repugnant alliances” and of using anti-war rhetoric to distract from domestic issues.
🇪🇸 Vox president Santiago Abascal: "The Islamic regime in Iran and Venezuela have been financing the far-left in Spain over the last 15 years. That's why Pedro Sánchez is the ayatollahs' best friend in Europe."pic.twitter.com/IoeYb8Ir6N
— Dr. Maalouf (@realMaalouf) March 3, 2026
