Cycling – Vuelta a Espana – Stage 21 – Alalpardo to Madrid – Madrid, Spain – Sept. 14, 2025: Barriers are smashed by anti-Israel protesters during Stage 21. Photo: REUTERS/Ana Beltran

Despite the ceasefire in Gaza taking effect, Iran is urging Spain to continue pushing for Israel’s suspension from international sports, as Madrid leads international efforts to boycott and isolate Jerusalem on the world stage.

In a letter to his Spanish counterpart, Iranian Minister of Sports and Youth Ahmad Donyamali praised Spain’s government for condemning “the genocide perpetrated by the Zionist regime in Gaza,” according to Iranian state-run media.

The Iranian official asked Spanish Minister for Education, Vocational Training, and Sports Pilar Alegría to lead efforts to build a global consensus to bar the Jewish state from international sports.

“Today, the world is faced with a serious challenge. The presence of the Zionist Regime of Israel as the biggest violator of international law in global sport arenas is undermining the credibility of sport values and principles,” Donyamali wrote in his letter.

“The continuation of such a situation turns sports, which should be the common language of nations for convergence, into a tool that serves to legitimize a system based on discrimination and apartheid,” the Iranian minister continued.

“Spain can play a significant role in global consensus to suspend the Israeli regime in sports,” he said.

Purportedly to protest the war in Gaza, both Iran — with its official policy of refusing to compete against Israeli athletes — and Spain are pushing efforts to boycott Israel, falsely accusing the Jewish state of genocide.

Last week, Israel and Hamas reached a US-backed ceasefire deal, ending a two-year conflict that began after the Palestinian terrorist group’s invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Since the start of the war in Gaza, Spain has become one of Israel’s fiercest critics, a stance that has only intensified in recent months, coinciding with a shocking rise in antisemitic incidents targeting the local Jewish community — from violent assaults and vandalism to protests and legal actions.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has faced increasing backlash from his country’s political leaders and Jewish community, who accuse him of fueling antisemitic hostility. The Spanish government has also been a leading force in the anti-Israel sports boycott.

Last month, Sánchez called for Israel to be barred from international sports events after pro-Palestinian activists disrupted the finale of the Vuelta cycling race in chaotic scenes in Madrid.

“The sports organizations should ask whether it’s ethical for Israel to continue participating in international competitions. Why was Russia expelled after invading Ukraine, yet Israel is not expelled after the invasion of Gaza?” Sánchez said while speaking to members of his Socialist Party.

“Until the barbarity ends, neither Russia nor Israel should be allowed to participate in any international competition,” the Spanish leader continued.

Spain has also announced that it will boycott next year’s Eurovision Song Contest if Israel participates, citing the country’s military offensive against Hamas in the war-torn enclave.

Israeli officials have repeatedly criticized the Spanish government’s actions and remarks, accusing Madrid of antisemitism and of pursuing an escalating anti-Israel campaign aimed at undermining the Jewish state internationally, as relations between the two countries continue to spiral downward.

This increased hostility comes as anti-Israel sentiment rises in Spain, with the local Jewish community being increasingly targeted.

On Wednesday, anti-Israel protesters clashed with local police in Barcelona and Valencia during a general strike in support of Gaza.

During the protest, roughly 15,000 people took part as some demonstrators set containers on fire and threw stones at businesses accused of supporting Israel.