Iran War: Spain contradicts USA in dispute over use of base | EUROtoday

Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares has rejected an announcement from the US authorities that the EU nation now needs to work with the US navy. “The position of the Spanish government regarding the war in the Middle East, the bombings of Iran and the use of our bases has not changed,” he mentioned in an interview on Cadena SER.

Shortly earlier than, US authorities spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt mentioned in Washington that Spain had agreed to cooperate. As far as she is aware of, the EU nation has been cooperating with the EU “in the last few hours.” USA agreed, she mentioned. At the identical time, Leavitt emphasised that US President Donald Trump expects all European allies to “work together on this long-awaited mission.” Albares, then again, mentioned he did not have “the slightest idea how she came up with that.”

Trump The earlier day, at a gathering with Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), he had harshly criticized the governments in Madrid and London. “Some European countries like Spain have behaved terribly,” he mentioned, referring to the US assaults on Iran. “Spain actually said we can’t use their bases,” Trump complained. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had introduced that his nation rejected using the bases in Spain and wouldn’t be an confederate. US President Donald Trump then threatened to cease commerce with Spain.

Spain criticizes Merz

“They were unfriendly,” Trump mentioned of the Spanish authorities. And that is why he instructed his finance minister, Scott Bessent, to cease “all deals” with Madrid. Which agreements Trump was referring to remained unclear at first. Merz didn’t reply to Trump’s assaults in entrance of the cameras within the White House. Merz then introduced that he had clearly expressed his opinion to Trump with out the press being current. The Spanish authorities subsequently expressed its anger on the Chancellor’s lack of public help.

The US needed to transfer 15 plane, together with tankers, from the Rota and Moron navy bases in southern Spain after the nation’s socialist management mentioned it could not enable them for use to assault Iran.