Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez Defies Trump Over Iran Military Actions

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has taken a firm stance against U.S. President Donald Trump's military actions against Iran, refusing to allow American forces to use Spanish air bases for operations. This decision has drawn sharp criticism and threats from Trump, who vowed to 'cut off all trade with Spain' in retaliation.

In a televised address on Wednesday, Sánchez called the U.S. military offensive against Iran a 'disaster.' He suggested that the U.S. administration had failed to heed the lessons of history, including the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, and said his government was opposed to its latest military intervention in the region.

'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,' Sánchez said. 'The question is not if we are on the side of the ayatollahs -- nobody is. The question is whether we are in favour of peace and international legality.'

Sánchez's stance places him apart from his European peers, who have shown varying degrees of accommodation with Washington's war plans. He has consistently opposed what he sees as unjustified aggression, denouncing the U.S.-Israeli bombing of Iran as a 'violation of international law' and summarizing his government's position simply as 'no to war.'

The dispute over the use of Spanish military bases is seen more as a diplomatic issue than a significant military one, as the U.S. has other bases across Europe and the Middle East. Sánchez's defiance places him apart from his European peers, who have shown varying degrees of accommodation with Washington's war plans.

Sánchez's stance on Iran is part of a broader pattern of defiance against Trump's policies. He was the only NATO member to refuse committing to increasing military spending to 5% of GDP, securing an exemption by pledging to spend up to 2.1%. This move drew threats from Trump, who suggested Spain could be kicked out of NATO.

Domestically, Sánchez's foreign policy interventions are seen as a strategy to generate political momentum amid a fragile parliamentary majority and ongoing corruption scandals within his Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). His international stances allow him to position himself as a progressive counterpoint to Trump, resonating with Spain's anti-militarist public opinion.

Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney gave his qualified backing to the United States' campaign against Iran but said it was 'with some unease' because it heralded a new era in which dominant powers eschewed consensus, instead acting in isolation, unconstrained by international norms or law. Speaking to the press traveling with him, Carney said Ottawa was not given advance notice of the attack on Iran by the Trump administration and no request was made to Canada to take part.