The latest remark comes after Sánchez defied US President Donald Trump’s request to jointly operate bases in southern Spain to attack Iran. Amid the ongoing war between the US and Iran, which has left the Middle East on edge, most countries have rallied behind President Donald Trump and his ally, Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, in what the US dubbed Operation Epic Fury- to bring about a regime change in Tehran.
At a time when the one-week conflict in Middle East has put countries at edge drawing European nations to support Trump’s war on Iran, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez continues to reiterate his “No to war” message. In a renewed attack at Trump over the ongoing war in Iran, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called the US war against Iran an ‘extraordinary mistake’.
The latest remark comes after Sánchez defied US President Donald Trump’s request to jointly operate bases in southern Spain to attack Iran. Sánchez said his government’s position on the widening Middle East conflict could be summed up in three words: “No to war.” On Tuesday, Trump lashed out at the Spanish government, calling Sánchez a “terrible” ally and threatening to sever all trade with the country. In an interview with the New York Post two days later, Trump further criticised Spain, calling it “a loser”.
The conflict with Iran is not the first of Sánchez’s rift with Trump. Earlier, he refused to join NATO allies in a pledge to boost defence spending as demanded by Trump. He was also a fierce critic of Israel’s war in Gaza, one that has been supported by Trump despite global outcry. The verbal spat between the US and Spain has dominated headlines and also been a source of embarrassment for Washington over the past week.
The drama reached a peak on Wednesday, with Spain’s assertion, a claim by the White House, and a counter-claim by Madrid. Hours after Spain’s Sanchez defiantly repeated calls of “no to the war” on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Madrid had “agreed to cooperate with the US military”. Leavitt’s remark instantly prompted a counter response from Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, who clarified that the nation’s stance on the war has “not changed at all”. “Our position on the use of the bases, on the war in the Middle East, on the bombardment of Iran, has not changed at all,” Albares added.
