Javier Bardem slams war, says 'free Palestine' in fiery Oscars remarks

Edward Segarra, USA TODAYMon, March 16, 2026 at 3:28 AM UTC

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Movie magic may be the star of the Oscars, but Javier Bardem isn't letting go of the bigger picture.

The Spanish and Oscar-winning actor, who presented at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday, March 15, spoke out against war during his remarks at the awards ceremony.

Bardem, 57, introduced the award for best international feature alongside actress Priyanka Chopra. Before announcing the category's nominees, Bardem took a moment to share his political opposition, which comes weeks after the U.S. entered a war with Iran.

"No to war," said Bardem, who wore a red patch that contained the phrase in Spanish ("No a la guerra"). "And free Palestine."

Javier Bardem, right, and Priyanka Chopra present the award for best international feature film during the 98th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 15, 2026.

Bardem also wore a pin that referenced the fraught Middle Eastern territory, which in recent years has been caught in the crosshairs of Israel's conflict with the terrorist organization Hamas.

Bardem wasn't the only star who got political at the Oscars.

Several celebrities, from "Bridgerton" actress Charithra Chandran to pop singer Sara Bareilles, wore pins promoting social justice movements. Some pins read "Just Peace" and "Artists4Ceasefire," the latter of which references the collective of artists and advocates calling for peace in response to the ongoing violence in Israel and Palestine.

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Javier Bardem's Oscar comments after escalating US-Iran war

The United States and Israel's war with Iran expanded in its third week, with Israel mounting a new wave of strikes in Iran and Lebanon and President Donald Trump calling on other nations to join him in sending warships to the Strait of Hormuz amid a deepening energy crisis.

The president has repeatedly said the war will be over soon but has not given specific timelines to members of Congress or the American people. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told ABC News that he predicted the conflict would end in the next few weeks, if not sooner.

1 / 0Celebrities wear 'ICE OUT,' 'Artists4Ceasefire' pins to 2026 Oscars

Several artists wore pins tied to social justice movements at the 2026 Oscars. Some wore pins that read "Artists4Ceasefire" and "Just Peace." Artists4Ceasefire is a collective of artists and advocates calling for peace in response to ongoing violence in Israel and Palestine.Pictured here, "Bridgerton" actress Charithra Chandran wears a red Artists for Ceasefire pin on the Oscars 2026 red carpet, and calls for a better world by speaking out against violence.

The war has escalated in recent days as U.S. military commanders ordered the deployment of thousands of Marines to the Middle East. The U.S. government has also warned Americans to leave Iraq, and non-emergency U.S. government employees were told to leave Oman, Reuters reported.

In an interview with NBC News on Saturday, Trump said Iran was willing to negotiate a ceasefire deal, but the United States was not interested so far "because the terms aren't good enough yet."

Contributing: USA TODAY Entertainment staff, Kathryn Palmer, James Powel and Michelle Deal-Zimmerman

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Javier Bardem at Oscars - Actor criticizes war, says free Palestine

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