Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has condemned US President Donald Trump's threats to cut trade ties over Madrid's refusal to allow the use of joint military bases for attacks on Iran, warning that the conflict risks 'playing Russian roulette' with millions of lives.
In a televised address on Wednesday, Sanchez said Spain would not be complicit in actions that are 'bad for the world' and contrary to its values, despite fears of reprisals. Trump had threatened to end trade with Spain after it denied the US access to bases in southern Spain for strikes on Iran.
Trump claimed the US could use the bases regardless, stating 'nobody's going to tell us not to use it'. He said he had instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to 'cut off all dealings' with Madrid, though the feasibility of such a move is unclear given Spain's EU membership, which gives Brussels authority over trade negotiations.
Sanchez described the US and Israeli military actions in Iran as 'unjustifiable' and 'dangerous', drawing parallels to the Iraq war and its role in fuelling extremism. His stance has strained relations with Washington, following earlier criticism of Israel's war in Gaza.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who was present at the White House meeting, told reporters he had informed Trump that Spain could not be excluded from EU-US trade agreements, saying 'there is no way to treat Spain particularly badly'.
