Spain-Trump spat widens over Spanish opposition to Iran warfare : NPR

Demonstrators in Barcelona, Spain, maintain images of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and the killed Iranian supreme chief throughout a protest on Wednesday towards U.S. and Israeli army assaults in Iran.

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SEVILLE, Spain — A feud is widening between the United States and NATO ally Spain, after the Spanish authorities reiterated that it will refuse to let U.S. forces use two joint army bases in southern Spain amid the U.S.-Israeli warfare in Iran.

“Our position has been very clear from Day 1,” Spain’s protection minister, Margarita Robles, told Cadena SER Radio on Thursday.

Robles contradicted an earlier assertion by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who claimed the Spanish authorities had shifted its place.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Leavitt stated: “With respect to Spain, I think they heard the president’s message yesterday loud and clear. And it’s my understanding over the past several hours, they’ve agreed to cooperate with the U.S. military.”

Robles responded to Leavitt’s remark saying: “The facts are clear. The Spanish government is not going to authorize the use of the bases in Rota and Morón for these military actions.” She added: “No single country should act as a guardian of the world. We have international rules.”

Robles had a prescheduled assembly with the U.S. ambassador to Spain, Benjamin León Jr., on Wednesday. Asked whether or not something stated in that assembly may have knowledgeable Leavitt’s assertion, Robles denied that concept and stated: “I was still meeting with the ambassador when the White House spokesperson gave that statement.”

The spat between the 2 governments was triggered by President Trump’s comments on Tuesday, saying that he would minimize off all commerce with Spain if the Spanish authorities didn’t enable U.S. forces to make use of the collectively operated bases. Over the weekend, the U.S. army relocated greater than a dozen refueling plane, based mostly in Spain, after not being allowed to launch their missions from the 2 bases.

The two army bases are positioned within the area of Andalusia, in southern Spain, and have been utilized by the U.S. since 1953. The city of Morón de la Frontera homes an air base, whereas the coastal city of Rota is house to the U.S. Navy. The bases are seen as a strategic stopover for U.S. operations within the Middle East.

On Wednesday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez defended his stance on the warfare within the Middle East in response to President Trump’s threats to chop off commerce with Spain.

“We say no to breaking the international law that protects us all, especially the most defenseless, the civilian population,” Sánchez stated, in remarks that did not point out Trump by identify.

“No to accepting that the world can only solve its problems through conflicts and bombs. And, finally, no to repeating the mistakes of the past. In short, the position of the government of Spain is summarized in four words: No to the war.”

Sánchez demanded that the United States, Israel and Iran search for a diplomatic exit to this battle.

Sánchez’s center-left Socialist Party leads a coalition authorities made up of different smaller events. Leaders of the nation’s predominant opposition, the conservative Popular Party, have come out in favor of the U.S. and Israeli army marketing campaign in Iran, and harshly criticized Sánchez for his place.

Spain’s army has taken measures to guard the realm. The Defense Ministry said Thursday it has despatched its most superior warship, Cristóbal Colón, to the Mediterranean to hitch French and Greek forces.

Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s international coverage chief, has warned that additional escalation of the warfare may threaten Europe and past “with unpredictable consequences.”

She stated, “We are taking all necessary steps to ensure the safety of EU citizens in the region.”