Spain’s Sánchez stands firm on opposition to war in Iran despite Trump’s trade threat

MADRID (AP) — Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez once again criticized the U.S. and Israel’s military actions in Iran, standing firm Wednesday against fresh trade threats from Washington and warning that the Iran war risked “playing Russian roulette” with millions of lives.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to end U.S. trade with Spain because of Spain’s refusal to allow the U.S. to use joint military bases in the country in its attacks on Iran.

“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 in a televised address.

It’s not clear how Trump would cut off trade with Spain, a European Union member. The EU negotiates trade on behalf of all its 27 members.

Despite Spain’s refusal, Trump on Tuesday said “we could use their base if we want,” referencing two military bases 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.”

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. The U.S. Supreme Court last month struck down Trump’s far-reaching global tariffs, saying emergency powers do not 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 position on Iran conflict marks the latest flare-up in its relationship with the Trump administration. Spain was also an outspoken critic of Israel’s war in Gaza.

Sánchez has called the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran an “unjustifiable” and “dangerous” military intervention.

On Wednesday, the Spanish leader also referenced the Iraq war and its negative consequences in terms of generating more jihadi extremism.

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