Protesters hold photographs of slain Iranian Supreme Leader and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez during a protest against US and Israeli military strikes on Iran in Barcelona, Spain, on Wednesday.
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SEVILLE, Spain — Animosity between the United States and NATO ally Spain is widening after the Spanish government reiterated that it will not allow U.S. forces to use two joint military bases in southern Spain amid the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran.
“Our position has been clear since Day 1,” Spain’s Defense Minister Margarita Robles told Cadena SER radio on Thursday.
Robles contradicted an earlier statement by White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt, who claimed the Spanish government had changed its position.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Leavitt said: “As far as Spain is concerned, I think they heard the president’s message loud and clear yesterday. And it’s my understanding in the last several hours, they’ve agreed to cooperate with the U.S. military.”
Robles responded to Leavitt’s comment: “The facts are clear. The Spanish government is not going to authorize the use of bases in Rota and Moron for these military actions.” He said: “No one country should act as the protector of the world. We have international rules.”
Robles held a pre-scheduled meeting with US Ambassador to Spain Benjamin Leon Jr. on Wednesday. Asked whether anything said in that meeting might have informed Leavitt’s statement, Robles denied that theory and said: “I was still meeting with the ambassador when the White House spokeswoman made that statement.”
The spat between the two governments stemmed from President Trump’s comments on Tuesday that he would cut off all trade with Spain if the government does not allow US forces to use bases where they operate jointly. Over the weekend, the US military evacuated more than a dozen refueling planes based in Spain after they were not allowed to begin their operations from two bases.
The two military bases are located in the Andalusia region of southern Spain and have been used by the US since 1953. The town of Morón de la Frontera has an air base, while the coastal town of Rota is home to the US Navy. These bases are seen as a strategic stop for US operations in the Middle East.
On Wednesday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez defended his stance on war in the Middle East in response to President Trump’s threats to cut trade with Spain.
“We say no to breaking international law that protects all of us, especially the most defenseless citizens,” Sanchez said in remarks that did not mention Trump by name.
“The world will not accept that its problems can only be solved through conflicts and bombs. And, finally, the mistakes of the past must not be repeated. In short, the position of the Spanish government can be summed up in four words: no to war.”
Sanchez urged the United States, Israel and Iran to look for a diplomatic exit to the conflict.
Sánchez’s centre-left Socialist Party leads a coalition government made up of other smaller parties. Leaders of the country’s main opposition party, the Conservative Popular Party, have come out in favor of US and Israeli military action in Iran and have sharply criticized Sanchez for his position.
Spain has taken military measures to protect the region. The Defense Ministry said Thursday that its state-of-the-art warship Cristóbal Colón has been sent to the Mediterranean to join French and Greek forces.
Caja Callas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, warned that a further escalation of the war could threaten Europe and beyond with “unpredictable consequences”.
“We are taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of EU citizens in the region,” he said.
