Spain’s Sanchez condemns U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran, bans use of Spanish bases as Trump threatens trade retaliation
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez intensified his opposition to the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, calling the campaign “Russian roulette” with the lives of millions and barring U.S. aircraft from using naval and air bases in southern Spain for the offensive against Tehran. His move drew an immediate threat from President Donald Trump to cut trade ties with Spain, escalating tensions between NATO allies.
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“This is how humanity’s great disasters start,” Sanchez said in a televised address, arguing the world “cannot solve its problems with conflicts and bombs.” He summarized Madrid’s stance in four words — “No to the war” — and said Spain would not be “complicit in something that’s bad for the world nor contrary to our values and interests simply to avoid reprisals from someone,” an apparent reference to Trump’s warning.
Sanchez, who has denounced the bombings that began Saturday as reckless and illegal, cited the fallout from the Iraq war — from a rise in jihadist terrorism to soaring energy prices — to argue that the consequences of striking Iran were unpredictable and unlikely to deliver a more just international order.
In Brussels, the European Commission signaled support for Madrid amid the trade threat. “We stand in full solidarity with all member states and all its citizens and, through our common trade policy, stand ready to act if necessary to safeguard EU interests,” commission spokesman Olof Gill said in a statement.
Canada also urged restraint. Prime Minister Mark Carney said the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran appeared “inconsistent with international law” and called for rapid de-escalation, even as he voiced support for efforts to pressure Tehran over its nuclear program and backing of militant groups.
Speaking at the Lowy Institute in Sydney during an official visit to Australia, Carney described Iran’s government as the “principal source of instability and terror” in the Middle East. He added that the legality of the current action was “a judgment for others to make,” noting, “I’m not a lawyer, let alone an international legal expert.”
Carney expressed regret that international efforts had failed to disarm Iran and pointedly noted that “the United States and Israel have acted without engaging the United Nations or consulting with allies, including Canada.” He said the war represented “another example of the failure of the international order,” and reiterated Ottawa’s call for de-escalation.
The Canadian leader’s trip, framed by his office as an effort to deepen ties with a fellow “middle power,” includes meetings with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and an address to Parliament in Canberra. Discussions will focus on economic security, critical minerals — of which Australia holds vast reserves — and defense cooperation. The visit is part of a wider Asia-Pacific tour aimed at reducing reliance on the United States amid what Carney has described as a fading U.S.-led global order.
The flare-up over Iran has exposed fault lines among Western partners about the use of force and alliance coordination. Madrid’s base restrictions underscore how political opposition at home can shape operational realities for coalition efforts, while the European Union’s readiness to defend member states’ interests hints at a broader test of transatlantic cohesion if trade penalties are pursued.
For now, Spain’s position is clear: no participation and no logistical facilitation. “You cannot play Russian roulette with destiny of millions,” Sanchez said, insisting his government’s stance is coherent, not merely political theater. Whether Washington follows through on economic retaliation — and how Brussels responds — could determine whether the dispute remains a diplomatic rupture or hardens into a lasting rift.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
