On March 5, 2026, Spain publicly rejected the White House's claim that it had agreed to cooperate militarily with the United States amid the ongoing conflict with Iran, maintaining its anti-war stance despite threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to sever trade ties between the two countries [1]. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated that Spain had changed its position and agreed to cooperate with U.S. military operations, emphasizing the expectation that all European allies would support efforts to 'crush the rogue Iranian regime' [1]. However, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares categorically denied any change in Spain's policy, asserting that the government's position on the war in the Middle East and the use of Spanish military bases 'has not changed at all' [1].
The dispute comes in the wake of President Trump's vow to cut off all trade with Madrid, labeling Spain as 'terrible' and reiterating his criticism of Spain's defense spending [1]. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez responded by calling the Middle East crisis a 'disaster' and reaffirmed Spain's stance with the phrase 'No to war,' positioning himself as a leading critic within the European Union against U.S. and Israeli military actions in Iran and Gaza [1].
Arancha González, former Spanish foreign minister and current Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po, commented that Trump's attacks on Sánchez were consistent with his previous criticisms of other European leaders who have questioned his motives, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Denmark's Mette Frederiksen [1]. González warned that a U.S. trade embargo against Spain would be 'foolish,' noting that the U.S. currently enjoys a trade surplus with Spain, which contradicts Trump's usual complaints about imbalanced trade relationships [1].
No specific market reactions or analyst forecasts were provided in the article, but the threat to sever trade ties and the ongoing diplomatic tensions between two NATO allies suggest significant potential implications for both geopolitical stability and economic relations [1].
CONCLUSION
Spain has firmly rejected U.S. claims of military cooperation in the Iran conflict, maintaining its anti-war stance despite President Trump's threats to cut trade ties. The dispute highlights deepening diplomatic tensions between two NATO allies, with Spain's leadership emerging as a vocal critic of U.S. and Israeli actions in the Middle East. The threat of a trade embargo, especially given the U.S. trade surplus with Spain, could have substantial market and geopolitical consequences.