The U.S. has opened an investigation into Spain after the government has reportedly denied port entry to ships carrying U.S. weapons bound for Israel, as part of the government’s opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza and obligations under international humanitarian law to block arms shipments to Israel.
The government is reportedly investigating three incidents in which the Spanish government denied ships port entry.
In early November, Spain reportedly blocked entry for two Danish Maersk vessels, while in May, the country apparently blocked another ship, reports say. The latter ship is not a participant in the U.S.’s Maritime Security Program, which is a fleet of ships used to support U.S. military activities.
The Federal Maritime Commission posted notice of the investigation on the Federal Register on Thursday. “The Commission is concerned that this apparent policy of denying entry to certain vessels will create conditions unfavorable to shipping in the foreign trade, whether in a particular route or in commerce generally,” the commission said in its notice.
The commission could levy fines of up to $2.3 million if its probe finds that Spain broached regulations regarding maritime trade.
The Spanish government has been supportive of Palestine amid the genocide, and has taken steps to sever its weapons agreements transfers to and from Israel. Spain stopped sending weapons to Israel in October 2023, when Israel’s genocide began. However, some reports have found that Spanish authorities have still allowed some ships carrying weapons for Israel to dock.
UN-affiliated legal experts, interpreting decisions by the International Court of Justice, have said that international law requires that global powers stop sending Israel arms due to its illegal occupation of Palestine and genocide in Gaza. Human rights groups as large as Amnesty International have also called on governments like the U.S. and Germany to stop sending weapons.
Activists fighting for Palestinian rights have specifically targeted Maersk and other participants in the weapons supply chain to Israel with protests.
Advocates for Palestinian rights have criticized the Biden administration for yet again taking extreme steps in order to continue sending arms to Israel, seemingly without any restrictions or red lines.
“It’s bad enough that the Biden administration flouts international law — and its own laws — to supply Israel with weapons that are used to target Palestinian families. Now it is threatening the Spanish government for complying with international law,” said the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) Policy Project. The group pointed out that the Biden administration reportedly also previously threatened Irish officials with “consequences” if they implemented a bill that would ban trade between Ireland and areas of Palestine illegally occupied by Israel.
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