March 3, 2026, 1:22 p.mMarch 3, 2026, 1:22 p.m
Spain’s refusal to support the USA in the war against Iran is causing irritation at home and abroad. Sharp criticism came from the USA and Israel.
“The current government in Spain appears to be becoming a prime example of a woefully weak European leadership that has gone morally astray,” said influential Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham on X.
It’s not a value if it only applies to you and your backyard.
It’s time for our European allies to have moral clarity when it comes to the Iranian people and their fight for freedom. pic.twitter.com/DmEiiCA6CI
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) March 3, 2026
Graham was reacting to the decision by the left-wing government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to ban the US from using the Rota and Morón military bases in Andalusia to attack Iran. History will be a reminder of where Spain stood when the US and others tried to “overthrow the most bloodthirsty regime since the Second World War,” said the close supporter of US President Donald Trump.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez closes bases for the US militaryImage: keystone
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar wrote on X: “First, Hamas thanked Sánchez. Then the Houthis thanked Sánchez. Now Iran thanks Sánchez. Is that supposed to be what we call “being on the right side of history?”
The bases in the south of the country have been used jointly by Spain and the USA for decades. These bases are “under no circumstances” being made available for the current strikes against Iran and will not be doing so in the future, said Defense Minister Margarita Robles.
«It is true that there is an agreement with the USA. “But we believe that this agreement must be applied within the framework of the international legal order,” Robles emphasized to journalists. “Currently, the armed forces of Israel and the United States are conducting operations that are unilateral and not backed by an international resolution.”
A “disgrace,” says the conservative opposition in Madrid
«Only through de-escalation, diplomacy and dialogue can a just and lasting peace be achieved in the Middle East. War and violence must not be normalized as a means of resolving conflicts,” wrote Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares on X. Spain demands respect for international law.
According to the Spanish government, because of the “no” from Madrid, the USA has already relocated numerous tanker aircraft stationed in Spain to other countries, including to Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
There is also criticism of Madrid’s position within Spain. It is a “shame” that the Spanish government is being praised by Iran, criticized Ester Muñoz, the parliamentary group spokeswoman for opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo’s conservative People’s Party PP. The Iranian embassy in the Spanish capital welcomed the Sánchez government’s refusal. (hkl/sda/dpa)