Spain's Defense Minister announced that her country would not take part in international missions against the Houthis in the Red Sea.
"Spain's position, out of a sense of responsibility and commitment to peace, is not to intervene in the Red Sea," Minister Margarita Robles told media.
Robles added that Spain's naval forces are tied up with 17 other missions, emphasizing the "very demanding" fight against piracy in the Western Indian Ocean.
The defense chief reiterated that Spain will not join the U.S.-led operation, which carried out strikes against the Houthis in Yemen on Thursday.
As the EU mulls launching its own mission in the Red Sea to help stop Houthi attacks, she also ruled out Spain's involvement there. However, Robles added that Spain would not oppose such a mission.
Regarding the U.S.-led attacks on the Houthis, she said Spain does not "want to judge the actions of other countries."
Robles also said that Madrid has not received pressure from the U.S. to join the mission.
When Washington first announced Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect shipping in the Red Sea, it named Spain one of the participating nations. Madrid, however, quickly shut down that claim.
According to Spanish daily El Mundo, sources from Spain's Defense Ministry said the Biden administration has apologized for the mistake.
European and Spanish media reported that the EU could decide whether to launch a separate mission as soon as a Jan. 22 meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels.
