The White House assured this Wednesday that the Government of Pedro Sánchez has agreed to cooperate with the United States Army, despite its previous rhetoric rejecting Spain's participation in the war against Iran.
The presidential spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, stated at a press conference that Spain "has heard the president's message loud and clear" and that, in recent hours, it has agreed to coordinate with U.S. forces, following Donald Trump's threat to cut trade with the European nation.
"Regarding Spain, I believe they heard the president's message yesterday, loud and clear, and as I understand it, in the past hours they have agreed to cooperate with the United States Army. So I know that the U.S. Army is coordinating with their counterparts in Spain," stated the spokesperson.
The official added that Trump expects all European allies to cooperate in the "long-sought" mission to "crush the out-of-control Iranian regime," which he accused of threatening both the United States and Europe.
However, the Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, immediately denied on television that his country has had any kind of communication with the U.S. in recent hours.
The exchange of statements occurs a few hours after Trump threatened to cut all trade negotiations and bilateral relations with Spain, following the Spanish government's initial refusal to allow the use of the military bases in Rota and Morón.
During a joint press conference on Tuesday with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the U.S. President stated that he was willing to “cut all trade relations with Spain” and described the European country as “a terrible ally.”
"No one will tell me whether I can use those bases or not," Trump stated, visibly upset by the Spanish position.
Hours later, the White House indicated that Madrid had corrected its stance and that there is now coordination between both armies.
But this morning Pedro Sánchez had revived the "No to War", popularized during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, to establish Spain's position regarding the conflict in the Middle East following the attack by the United States and Israel against Iran and the subsequent military escalation in the region.
After Leavitt's statements, the Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, said on television that they were false and that the European nation had not spoken with Washington in recent hours.
The diplomatic crossing occurs on the fourth day of the military offensive against Iran. The United States and Israel have intensified their attacks on strategic targets, while Tehran continues to launch missiles and drones in retaliation.
International tension has also been reflected in the markets: European stock exchanges closed with losses exceeding 3%, amid uncertainty over a possible escalation of the conflict.
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