16 Mar, 2026 @ 11:15
1 min read

‘No to war and free Palestine’: Spanish actor Javier Bardem revives Iraq war protest pin at Oscars ceremony to slam US strikes on Iran

A still image from footage of the ceremony. Source: ElMundo

SPANISH actor Javier Bardem spoke out against the Iran war while on stage during Sunday’s Oscars ceremony in Los Angeles.

As he introduced the award for best international feature alongside actress Priyanka Chopra, Bardem said: “No to war, and free Palestine.”

Bardem, 57, turned up at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre wearing a black patch reading ‘No a la guerra’ (‘No to war’) in red lettering, as well as a white pin reading ‘Palestine.’

READ MORE: Spanish Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem sparks controversy after calling Israeli soldiers ‘Nazis’

YouTube video

“It is the same [patch] I used 23 years ago,” he told Spanish broadcaster Movistar, referencing the 2003 Iraq war.

“They’re the same lies,” he added. “In 2003 it was the weapons of mass destruction, and now it’s overthrowing a regime, and all they do is further radicalise it.”

The actor, who won an Oscar in 2008 for the film ‘No Country for Old Men,’ had previously expressed support for Palestine during the 2025 Primetime Emmy Awards, where he wore a keffiyeh and told reporters: “Here I am today denouncing the genocide in Gaza.”

READ MORE: Spanish film stars including Javier Bardem slam British Oscar-winning director for filming new blockbuster in occupied Western Sahara

Bardem was not the only attendant to voice criticism against the Iran war.

Saja Kilani, the leading actress in Oscar-nominated Palestinian docudrama The Voice of Hind Rajab, also wore a pin demanding a ceasefire in Iran.

She said: “There are bombings happening to this day, destruction, displacements all over the world. In Palestine, Lebanon, Iran, Venezuela, and everywhere.”

Others slammed ICE activity in the United States, with actress Glennon Doyle donning a black bag with ‘F—ICE’ stitched on it.  

READ MORE: WATCH: Javier Bardem joins anti-war protests in support of Ukraine as rallies held across Spain  

The remarks came as the US-Israeli conflict with Iran entered its third week, with Israel launching a new round of strikes across Iran and Lebanon while US President Donald Trump urged allies to send naval forces to the Strait of Hormuz as an energy crisis intensified.

Trump has repeatedly insisted the fighting will end soon, though he has offered no clear timetable to Congress or the American public.

Tensions have risen sharply in recent days after US military leaders authorised the deployment of thousands of Marines to the Middle East.

Speaking to NBC News on Saturday, Trump said Iran had signalled a willingness to discuss a ceasefire, but added that Washington was not prepared to accept a deal “because the terms aren’t good enough yet.”

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I am a Madrid-based Olive Press trainee and a journalism student with NCTJ-accredited News Associates. With bylines in the Sunday Times, I love writing about science, the environment, crime, and culture. Contact me with any leads at alessio@theolivepress.es

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Spain to introduce ‘comprehensive’ package this week to counter energy price spikes caused by Iran war

Spain to introduce 'comprehensive' package this week to counter energy price spikes caused by Iran war
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Spain to introduce ‘comprehensive’ package this week to counter energy price spikes caused by Iran war

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