Spain's government denies cooperating with US operations in Mideast,
contradicting White House
[March 05, 2026]
By JOSEPH WILSON, AAMER MADHANI and SUMAN NAISHADHAM
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.
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Demonstrators hold photographs of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro
Sanchez during a protest against U.S. and Israeli intervention in
Iran in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (AP Photo)
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.
___
Joseph Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain, and Aamer Madhani from
Washington. Sam McNeil contributed to this report from Brussels.
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