Spain has agreed to cooperate with US military operations in the Middle East, the White House said Wednesday, a day after President Donald Trump threatened to cut off trade with Madrid over its opposition to US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Spain appeared to have reconsidered its position following Trump’s warning.
“I think they heard the president’s message yesterday loud and clear,” Leavitt told reporters during a briefing. “It’s my understanding over the past several hours they’ve agreed to cooperate with the US military.”
Leavitt added that the Pentagon was already working with Spanish officials on operational coordination.
“And so I know that the US military is coordinating with their counterparts in Spain,” she said.
The change came after Trump warned on Tuesday that Washington could halt trade with Spain after Madrid refused to allow US aircraft to use jointly operated naval and air bases in southern Spain for strikes against Iran.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jos Manuel Albares had said earlier that the bases would not be used for operations that were not covered by the United Nations charter.
Trump responded by threatening sweeping economic retaliation.
“I’m going to cut off all trade with Spain,” the US president said Tuesday.
It remains unclear how such a move could be implemented because Spain is a member of the European Union, which negotiates trade agreements collectively for its 27 member states, according to the Associated Press.
SPAIN OPPOSITION TO THE WAR
Prime Minister Pedro Snchez has condemned the US and Israeli strikes, warning that the conflict could trigger catastrophic consequences.
“In short, the position of the government of Spain can be summarized in four words,” Snchez said in a televised address. “No to the war.”
He also warned that the conflict risked playing Russian roulette with millions of lives and could drag the region into another prolonged and costly war.
Deputy Prime Minister Mara Jess Montero echoed the government’s stance earlier in the day, saying Spain will not be vassals to another country.
US officials have defended the pressure on Spain, arguing that restrictions on American access to military bases could slow down operations and put US personnel at risk.
With inputs from Associated Press
