Spain is against the "disaster" of the ongoing war in the Middle East, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday following US President Donald Trump's threats to cut trade with Madrid over its position on the conflict.
"This is how humanity's great disasters start ... You cannot play Russian roulette with destiny of millions," Sanchez said in a televised address to the nation.
Tensions between the two NATO allies increased after Sanchez denounced the US and Israeli bombings of Iran as reckless and illegal, and later banned US aircraft from using naval and air bases in southern Spain for the offensive against Tehran.
Sanchez said the world could not solve its problems with conflicts and bombs.
"The position of the Spanish government can be summarized in four words: 'No to the war,'" he said, adding the stance was not disingenuous but coherent.
"We're not going to be complicit in something that's bad for the world nor contrary to our values and interests simply to avoid reprisals from someone," Sanchez said, appearing to reference Trump's trade threats.
Sanchez highlighted the negative knock-on effects of the Iraq war, from a rise in jihadist terrorism to soaring energy prices, to argue that the consequences of this attack on Iran were just as nebulous and that it would not lead to a more just international order.
Spain 'surprised' at Germany's Merz White House remarks supporting Trump's trade threats
Madrid has shared with Germany its "surprise" at remarks by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House, which appeared to support Trump's threats to cut trade with Spain, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Wednesday.
"I cannot imagine Chancellors (Angela) Merkel or (Olaf) Scholz making such remarks," Albares said in a TV interview with state broadcaster TVE.
Merz had said on Tuesday that Spain needed "convincing" to agree to NATO's higher defense spending target of 3.5% of gross domestic product after Trump floated imposing a trade embargo on Spain over its position in the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Trump to cut off all US trade with Spain
Previously, on Tuesday, Trump said the United States would cut off all trade with Spain after the European country refused to let the US military use its bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran.
"Spain has been terrible," Trump told reporters during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, adding that he had told Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to "cut off all dealings" with Spain.
"We're going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don't want anything to do with Spain," he added.