Spain PM says 'no to Iran war' as rift with America deepens

Spain's prime minister defiantly posted “No to the war” on Wednesday, deepening a rift with the United States after Madrid refused the use of its bases to attack Iran and Washington threatened trade reprisals.

- 

Spain's Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had already angered US President Donald Trump with a series of other policies.

Sanchez has refused to join Nato allies in a pledge to boost defence spending to five percent of GDP as demanded by Trump, and has fiercely criticised Israel's war in Gaza.

Trump lashed out at Sanchez’s government on Tuesday, calling Spain a “terrible” ally and threatening to sever all trade with Spain.

Sanchez defended his position on Wednesday, saying his government's position “can be summed up in four words: no to the war.”

“We will not be complicit in something that is harmful to the world and contrary to our values and interests, simply out of fear of retaliation,” he added in a televised address.

Spain is part of the European Union, which allows goods to move freely between its 27 countries.

This would complicate any bid to impose trade restrictions on a single member state.

“Trump's words don't always become policy. We will have to see if he follows through, and how,” said Angel Saz Carranza, director of the Esade Center for Global Economy and Geopolitics, a Spanish think tank.