The President of the Government, Pedro Sanchez, speaks during the official opening dinner of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2026, at the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, on 1 March 2026, in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Europa Press News | Europa Press | Getty Images
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Wednesday doubled down on his criticism of the U.S strikes against Iran, describing the escalating Middle East conflict as a “disaster.”
His comments come after U.S. President Donald Trump pledged to cut off trade with Madrid after Spain’s government prevented two jointly operated bases in its territory from being used in the strikes.
“Spain has been terrible,” Trump said on Tuesday, during a White House news conference alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. “We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain,” he added.
In a televised address on Wednesday morning, Sánchez said: “Very often great wars start with a chain of events spiralling out of control due to miscalculations, technical failures, and unforeseen circumstances. Therefore, we must learn from history and cannot play Russian roulette with the fate of millions,” according to a CNBC translation.
Sánchez warned of “repeating the mistakes of the past,” drawing a comparison with the invasion of Iraq in the early 2000s, and summarized the government’s position as: “No to war.”
Spain’s socialist prime minister has emerged as one of the leading critics of the U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran among leaders of EU nations.
Trump’s latest comments follow his condemnation of Madrid’s refusal to meet the NATO defense spending target of 5% of GDP.
Spain’s Ibex 35 index traded 1.6% higher at around 12:41 p.m. London time (7:41 a.m. ET), reversing earlier losses amid U.S. trade jitters. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index, meanwhile, advanced around 1.1%.
Trump’s threat to punish Spain on trade would be challenging, given that the 27 EU nations negotiate trade agreements collectively.
“It’s naïve to believe that democracy or respect among nations can spring from ruins, or to think that blind and servile obedience is a form of leadership. On the contrary, I believe this position is leadership,” Sánchez said.
“We will not be complicit in something that is bad for the world and contrary to our values and interests simply out of fear of reprisals from someone,” he added.
Bessent: Spain ‘put American lives at risk’
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused the Spanish government of putting American lives at risk, following the air base dispute.
“President Trump’s frustration with the Spanish government is justified, that first of all, they have been terrible actors. They are the only NATO member not meeting their NATO requirement. That’s known as a free rider,” Bessent told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Wednesday.
“And then it was unacceptable over the weekend that the Spanish were highly uncooperative regarding the U.S. bases and what we could do with our planes as we began executing on Operation Epic Fury,” Bessent said.
“Anything that slows down our ability to engage and prosecute this war in the fastest, most effective manner puts American lives at risk. The Spanish put American lives at risk,” he added.
The EU, for its part, has said it will ensure the interests of its member states are fully protected.
European Council President Antonio Costa said in a post on social media that he held a call with Spain’s Sánchez to express the EU’s “full solidarity” with Madrid.
“We reaffirm our firm commitment to the principles of international law and the rules-based order everywhere in the world,” Costa said.
— CNBC’s Charlotte Reed contributed to this report.