Spain will not authorize calling of ships carrying weapons for Israel

The Marianne Danica was carrying a cargo of arms to Israel and had requested permission to call at Cartagena on May 21, Transport Minister Oscar Puente said on X on Thursday.

 Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares makes a statement during a press conference at the State Department in Washington, US, May 10, 2024.  (photo credit: REUTERS/Kaylee Greenlee Beal)
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares makes a statement during a press conference at the State Department in Washington, US, May 10, 2024.
(photo credit: REUTERS/Kaylee Greenlee Beal)

Spain will not authorize ships carrying weapons for Israel to call at its ports, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Friday, after the country refused to let a ship call at the southeastern port of Cartagena.

The ship was the first to be denied access to a Spanish port, Albares said, adding the refusal was consistent with the government's decision not to grant weapon export licenses to Israel since Oct. 7, as Spain doesn't "want to contribute to war."

EaSpain has refused permission for an Israel-bound ship carrying arms to call at the southeastern port of Cartagena, Transport Minister Oscar Puente said on Thursday.

The Marianne Danica was carrying a cargo of arms to Israel and had requested permission to call at Cartagena on May 21, Transport Minister Oscar Puente said on X on Thursday.

Explosive material onboard

It was carrying nearly 27 tons of explosive material from India's Madras, El Pais reported.

 Spain's Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation Jose Manuel Albares Bueno speaks to members of Security Council during a meeting to address the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, at U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, US, April 18, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/EDUARDO MUNOZ)
Spain's Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation Jose Manuel Albares Bueno speaks to members of Security Council during a meeting to address the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, at U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, US, April 18, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/EDUARDO MUNOZ)

The Foreign Ministry, which Puente said denied the authorization, did not immediately reply to repeated requests for comment.

H. Folmer & Co., the company managing the Marianne Danica, did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The reports come amid a spat between the ruling Socialists and their hard-left partners over allowing the transit of vessels carrying arms to Israeli ports.