The President of the Authorities, Pedro Sanchez, speaks through the official opening dinner of the Cell World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2026, on the Museu Nacional d’Artwork de Catalunya, on 1 March 2026, in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Europa Press Information | Europa Press | Getty Pictures
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Wednesday doubled down on his criticism of the united statesstrikes towards Iran, describing the escalating Center East battle as a “catastrophe.”
His feedback come after U.S. President Donald Trump pledged to chop off commerce with Madrid after Spain’s authorities prevented two collectively operated bases in its territory from getting used within the strikes.
“Spain has been horrible,” Trump stated on Tuesday, throughout a White Home information convention alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. “We will reduce off all commerce with Spain. We do not need something to do with Spain,” he added.
In a televised handle on Wednesday morning, Sánchez stated: “Fairly often nice wars begin with a sequence of occasions spiralling uncontrolled attributable to miscalculations, technical failures, and unexpected circumstances. Due to this fact, we should be taught from historical past and can’t play Russian roulette with the destiny of thousands and thousands,” in keeping with a CNBC translation.
Sánchez warned of “repeating the errors of the previous,” drawing a comparability with the invasion of Iraq within the early 2000s, and summarized the federal government’s place as: “No to conflict.”
Spain’s socialist prime minister has emerged as one of many main critics of the U.S. and Israeli strikes towards Iran amongst leaders of EU nations.
Trump’s newest feedback comply with his condemnation of Madrid’s refusal to satisfy the NATO protection spending goal of 5% of GDP.
Spain’s Ibex 35 index traded 1.6% larger at round 12:41 p.m. London time (7:41 a.m. ET), reversing earlier losses amid U.S. commerce jitters. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index, in the meantime, superior round 1.1%.
Trump’s risk to punish Spain on commerce could be difficult, provided that the 27 EU nations negotiate commerce agreements collectively.
“It is naïve to consider that democracy or respect amongst nations can spring from ruins, or to assume that blind and servile obedience is a type of management. Quite the opposite, I consider this place is management,” Sánchez stated.
“We won’t be complicit in one thing that’s dangerous for the world and opposite to our values and pursuits merely out of concern of reprisals from somebody,” he added.
Bessent: Spain ‘put American lives in danger’
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused the Spanish authorities of placing American lives in danger, following the air base dispute.
“President Trump’s frustration with the Spanish authorities is justified, that initially, they’ve been horrible actors. They’re the one NATO member not assembly their NATO requirement. That is referred to as a free rider,” Bessent informed CNBC’s “Squawk Field” on Wednesday.
“After which it was unacceptable over the weekend that the Spanish had been extremely uncooperative concerning the U.S. bases and what we may do with our planes as we started executing on Operation Epic Fury,” Bessent stated.
“Something that slows down our capacity to interact and prosecute this conflict within the quickest, handiest method places American lives in danger. The Spanish put American lives in danger,” he added.
The EU, for its half, has stated it should make sure the pursuits of its member states are totally protected.
European Council President Antonio Costa stated in a put up on social media that he held a name with Spain’s Sánchez to specific the EU’s “full solidarity” with Madrid.
“We reaffirm our agency dedication to the ideas of worldwide regulation and the rules-based order in all places on this planet,” Costa stated.
— CNBC’s Charlotte Reed contributed to this report.
