White House: Spain agreed to cooperate with US military

According to the White House, Spain agreed to cooperate with the US military after US President Donald Trump threatened Madrid with trade sanctions. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said that following Trump’s statement the Spanish government changed its position and accepted cooperation with the US armed forces.

Trump had previously hinted at the possibility of a trade embargo against Spain. He was responding to Madrid’s decision not to allow the use of joint US–Spanish military bases in the south of the country for operations against Iran.

However, the Spanish government continues to criticise US and Israeli attacks on Iran. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned that the conflict could escalate into a global crisis. Deputy Prime Minister María Jesús Montero also stressed that Spain would not be a ‘vassal’ of another country.

(reuters, mja)