MADRID — Spain won’t abandon its commitment to international law despite mounting criticism from the United States over its refusal to allow its air bases to be used for the Iran war, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares told POLITICO.
“We were one of the very few countries that sent troops to help the United States to become a nation and to get independence,” Albares said. “We want the relationship [with the U.S.] to move forward in the same way, but we won’t renounce our principles.”
“We stick to our values and we defend the interests of our citizens. That’s the only thing that really guides me,” he added in an interview at Viana Palace, the Spanish foreign minister’s official residence.
The comments come at a time of heightened tension between Madrid and Washington after Spain denied American military planes access to its air bases because of its opposition to the Iran war. The U.S. responded by threatening Spain with a trade embargo, troop withdrawals and suspension from NATO.
President Donald Trump said in early March that the Spanish government “has been terrible” for refusing to allow Washington to use bases at Morón and Rotafor to launch strikes at Iran, adding “we don’t want anything to do with Spain.”
“The use of those bases comes from an agreement, a treaty between both countries,” Albares said. “And it’s very clearly stated very early in the treaty that it must be in compliance with international law and the United Nations Charter.”
“This is a unilateral war,” Albares went on. “None of the [NATO] allies were consulted or informed. We don’t know what’s going on. Neither Spain nor any other country. Even more reason to act and defend the interests of our citizens.”
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told POLITICO: “President Trump has made his disappointment with NATO and other allies clear.”
“Europe benefits tremendously from the tens of thousands of United States troops stationed in Europe — yet requests to use military bases in order to defend American interests were denied. The President has effectively restored America’s standing on the world stage and strengthened relationships abroad — but he simultaneously will never allow the United States to be treated unfairly and taken advantage of by so-called ‘allies,’” she said.
“The President will not allow the world’s number one state sponsor of terror to have a nuclear weapon with which to threaten the United States and the world,” Kelly continued.
Spain, run by Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has found itself an EU outlier when it comes to the Middle East. Sánchez’s government has repeatedly pushed for the EU to issue stronger criticism of Israel, and has hit out at the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Albares argued that Spain’s positions have now become mainstream within the bloc.
“It’s true to say we have been the first to take that approach. On Iran, and on everything that is going on in the Middle East,” he said. “We seem to stand alone, only at first. A few days later, some others start to say the same things. A month later, everyone in Europe says exactly what we say.
“Why? Because it’s what makes sense to the interest of our citizens, European citizens, not only Spanish citizens, and to our values, European values.”
He said the EU was at a turning point, arguing it must become more independent as global instability deepens and transatlantic foreign policy grows less predictable.
“It’s time for European sovereignty and independence,” Albares said. “It’s existential for us and also for millions of people around the world.”
The Spanish foreign minister called for the EU to develop its own military. “We need a military, a common defense capacity,” Albares said, adding that this shouldn’t be seen as undermining NATO.
“The United States has been making its army stronger and stronger and no one thinks that that weakens NATO,” he said.
This story was updated to include a comment from the White House spokesperson.
