On March 5, the White House said that Spain had agreed to cooperate with the US military after President Donald Trump threatened to cut off trade relations, but Madrid immediately denied this statement.
Speaking at a press conference, White House Press Secretary - Ms. Karoline Leavitt - said she was informed that Spain had changed its position. "I think they have clearly heard the president's message. As far as I know in the past few hours, they have agreed to cooperate with the US military," she said but did not elaborate.
Previously, President Donald Trump announced that he would end trade with Madrid because of his opposition to US and Israeli airstrikes against Iran. He also proposed imposing a trade embargo because Spain refused to allow US aircraft to use naval and air bases operated by both sides in the south of the country to serve the campaign against Tehran.
Responding to the statement from the White House, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares completely denied information about reaching an agreement. Answering Cadena Ser radio, he said he had heard the statements while on the way and had time to review the content.
I completely deny that. The Spanish government's position on the war in the Middle East and the bombing of Iran related to the use of our base has not changed," he emphasized, while saying it was unclear where the White House statement came from.
The Spanish government previously condemned the airstrikes by the US and Israel against Iran as reckless and illegal. Deputy Prime Minister Maria Jesus Montero affirmed that Spain "will not be a vassal" for any other country.
In a televised speech, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez reaffirmed Madrid's stance against war and warned that the current conflict risks causing a large-scale global disaster.
Conflicting statements between Washington and Madrid show that disagreements still exist regarding the use of military bases and approaches to conflict in the Middle East.
