Spain denies cooperation with US operations in Mideast

MADRID (AP) — A diplomatic tussle between the United States and Spain over the war in Iran intensified on Wednesday when the governments exchanged contradictory statements over the possible use of Spanish military bases by American armed forces for operations in the Middle East.

Moments after a White House spokesperson said the Spanish government in Madrid had agreed to help the U.S., Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares came out and flatly denied that the European government had changed its position.

“I can refute (the White House spokesperson),” Albares told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser. “The position of the Spanish government regarding the war in the Middle East, the bombing of Iran and the use of our bases has not changed one iota.”

The disagreement broke out on Tuesday when Trump said that he was going to “ cut off all trade with Spain,” a day after Albares said that his government wouldn’t allow the U.S. to use jointly operated bases in southern Spain in any strikes not covered by the U.N. charter. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that his government wouldn’t “be complicit in something that is bad for the world.”

Albares denied that his government had reconsidered its posture on the use of the bases on Wednesday evening in Madrid shortly after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had said “with respect to Spain, I think they heard the president’s message yesterday loud and clear.

“And it’s my understanding over the past several hours, they’ve agreed to cooperate with the U.S. military,” Leavitt had said. “And so I know that the U.S. military is coordinating with their counterparts in Spain.”

Spanish criticism of military action in Iran

Sánchez, widely regarded as Europe’s last major progressive leader, has called the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran an “unjustifiable” and “dangerous” military intervention.

Sánchez again criticized the U.S. and Israel’s military actions in Iran early on Wednesday when he made a nationally televised address. While not mentioning Trump by name, Sánchez stood firm against trade threats from Washington and warning that the war in the Middle East risked “playing Russian roulette” with millions of lives.

“We are not going to be complicit in something that is bad for the world and is also contrary to our values and interests, just out of fear of reprisals from someone,” Sánchez said.

Sánchez expressed concern that the attacks on Iran could lead to another costly military quagmire in the Middle East, similar to the past American interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“In short, the position of the government of Spain can be summarized in four words,” Sánchez said. “No to the war.”

After Spain denied U.S. use of its bases, Trump on Tuesday said “we could use their base if we want,” referencing the Rota and Morón installations in southern Spain that the U.S. and Spain share, but which remain under Spanish command.

“We could just fly in and use it,” Trump said. “Nobody’s going to tell us not to use it, but we don’t have to.”

U.S. chastises Spain

It wasn’t clear how Trump would have cut off trade with Spain, which is a member of the European Union. The EU negotiates trade on behalf of all its 27 member states.

When asked in an interview with CNBC whether a trade embargo with Spain would be possible, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Wednesday “it would be a combination effort.” He didn’t explain further, but said Spain’s refusal to allow the U.S. to use its bases in the weekend attack on Iran endangered American lives.

“Anything that slows down our ability to engage and prosecute this war in the fastest, most effective manner puts American lives at risk,” Bessent said. “The Spanish put American lives at risk.”

The EU said that it would protect its interests and work to stabilize its trade relationship with the U.S, with which it struck a trade deal last year after months of economic uncertainty over Trump’s tariff blitz.

Trade threats

Tuesday’s threats from Washington were just the latest instance of the U.S. president wielding the threat of tariffs or trade embargoes as punishment. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Trump’s far-reaching global tariffs, saying emergency powers don’t allow the president to unilaterally impose sweeping tariffs.

However, Trump maintains that the court allows him to instead impose full-scale embargoes on other nations of his choosing.

Spain’s main business groups expressed concerns over the trade threat, calling the U.S. a “key partner from an economic and political standpoint.”

“We trust that our trade relations will ultimately not be affected in any way,” the Spanish business chambers CEOE, CEPYME and ATA said Tuesday.

Last year, Spain’s central bank issued a report that concluded Europe’s fourth-largest economy was relatively cushioned compared with the EU average when it came to exposure to tariffs by Trump.

Spain’s exports and imports with the U.S. accounted for 4.4% of gross domestic product, the Bank of Spain said, while trade with the U.S. for the EU as a whole was 10.1%.

Exports of Spanish goods to the U.S. accounted for 1% of Spain’s GDP, or 16 billion euros ($18.6 billion), the bank said, making it Spain’s sixth largest export market for goods. Pharmaceutical products, olive oil, refined gas and electrical transformers are among Spain’s main exports to the U.S., according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity.

Spain’s position on the Iran conflict is the latest flare-up in its relationship with the Trump administration.

Sánchez was an outspoken critic of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and attracted Trump’s ire last year when Spain backed out of NATO’s pledge to increase defense spending by members to 5% of GDP.

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Joseph Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain, and Aamer Madhani from Washington. Sam McNeil contributed to this report from Brussels.