SEVILLE, Spain — A feud is widening between the United States and NATO ally Spain, after the Spanish government reiterated that it would refuse to let U.S. forces use two joint military bases in southern Spain amid the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran.
"Our position has been very clear from Day 1," Spain's defense minister, Margarita Robles, told Cadena SER Radio on Thursday.
Robles contradicted an earlier statement by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who claimed the Spanish government had shifted its position.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Leavitt said: "With respect to Spain, I think they heard the president's message yesterday loud and clear. And it's my understanding over the past several hours, they've agreed to cooperate with the U.S. military."
Robles responded to Leavitt's comment saying: "The facts are clear. The Spanish government is not going to authorize the use of the bases in Rota and Morón for these military actions." She added: "No single country should act as a guardian of the world. We have international rules."
Robles had a prescheduled meeting with the U.S. ambassador to Spain, Benjamin León Jr., on Wednesday. Asked whether anything said in that meeting could have informed Leavitt's statement, Robles denied that theory and said: "I was still meeting with the ambassador when the White House spokesperson gave that statement."
The spat between the two governments was triggered by President Trump's comments on Tuesday, saying that he would cut off all trade with Spain if the Spanish government did not allow U.S. forces to use the jointly operated bases. Over the weekend, the U.S. military relocated more than a dozen refueling aircraft, based in Spain, after not being allowed to launch their missions from the two bases.
The two military bases are located in the region of Andalusia, in southern Spain, and have been used by the U.S. since 1953. The town of Morón de la Frontera houses an air base, while the coastal town of Rota is home to the U.S. Navy. The bases are seen as a strategic stopover for U.S. operations in the Middle East.
On Wednesday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez defended his stance on the war in the Middle East in response to President Trump's threats to cut off trade with Spain.
"We say no to breaking the international law that protects us all, especially the most defenseless, the civilian population," Sánchez said, in remarks that didn't mention Trump by name.
"No to accepting that the world can only solve its problems through conflicts and bombs. And, finally, no to repeating the mistakes of the past. In short, the position of the government of Spain is summarized in four words: No to the war."
Sánchez demanded that the United States, Israel and Iran look for a diplomatic exit to this conflict.
Sánchez's center-left Socialist Party leads a coalition government made up of other smaller parties. Leaders of the country's main opposition, the conservative Popular Party, have come out in favor of the U.S. and Israeli military campaign in Iran, and harshly criticized Sánchez for his position.
Spain's military has taken measures to protect the area. The Defense Ministry said Thursday it has sent its most advanced warship, Cristóbal Colón, to the Mediterranean to join French and Greek forces.
Kaja Kallas, the European Union's foreign policy chief, has warned that further escalation of the war could threaten Europe and beyond "with unpredictable consequences."
She said, "We are taking all necessary steps to ensure the safety of EU citizens in the region."
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