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Spain’s Pedro Sánchez, on the US and Israeli attack on Iran: ‘No to war, we are not going to be complicit’

Spain refused U.S. use of shared bases as Washington threatened an embargo, testing whether allied security cooperation can be coerced through economic punishment.

Iran War

Mar 4, 2026

Sources

https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-04/pedro-sanchez-on-the-us-and-israeli-attack-on-iran-no-to-war-we-will-not-support-this-disaster.html

Summary

Spain’s prime minister publicly rejected U.S. use of the joint military bases in Rota and Morón amid U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. The Spanish government positioned this refusal as a sovereignty-and-law-based break from subordination to Washington while Washington responded with trade threats. The practical consequence is heightened NATO and EU friction alongside preparations inside Spain for evacuations and economic mitigation in case of a prolonged conflict.

Reality Check

Economic retaliation threats against an ally for exercising control over its territory normalize coercion as a substitute for negotiated coordination in security policy. When military access and trade are treated as leverage tools rather than governed by predictable agreements, alliances become transactional instruments of pressure instead of rule-bound partnerships. Over time, that model conditions publics to accept foreign policy made through intimidation, weakening the expectation that democratic governments can act through law, consent, and transparent commitments.

Detail

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez delivered an institutional statement from La Moncloa without journalists present. He reiterated Spain’s opposition to the U.S.- and Israeli-led military attack on Iran and revived the “no to war” slogan, arguing against resolving conflicts “with bombs” and emphasizing international law, the UN Charter, and diplomacy.

Sánchez said Spain repudiates the Iranian regime while rejecting military operations against it, and stated that Spain “will not be complicit.” He referenced U.S. threats to block trade with Spain after Spain rejected U.S. use of the joint military bases in Rota and Morón.

He said Spain will work toward an EU consensus position while maintaining it will not take a subordinate position to the United States. Sánchez also said the government is preparing a new “social shield” to protect Spaniards, including evacuation arrangements and measures to mitigate economic impact if the conflict becomes prolonged.

Spain denies US permission to use jointly operated bases to attack Iran

Spain’s refusal to authorize US strike operations from shared bases underscores how contested legality can fracture alliance basing norms and constrain war-making by access.

Iran War

Mar 2, 2026

Sources

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/02/spain-denies-united-states-permission-military-bases-iran-pedro-sanchez

Summary

Spain denied the United States permission to use the jointly operated bases at Rota and Morón to attack Iran. Madrid framed base access as conditional on the existing bilateral agreement and compliance with the UN charter and international legal frameworks, directly constraining a partner’s operational latitude. The decision limits US options for sustaining strikes from Spanish territory and sharpens allied divergence over the legality and scope of the Iran operation.

Reality Check

When major military operations proceed amid allied disputes over legality, the guardrails that normally discipline the use of force weaken into ad hoc permission systems and political pressure campaigns. Normalizing strikes that partners describe as outside international law makes basing access a lever for escalation rather than a constraint grounded in clear rules. Over time, this conditions publics to accept war decisions as faits accomplis, with accountability shifted from institutions to improvised coalition politics.

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Detail

Spain’s government said it would not allow the United States to use the jointly operated military bases at Rota and Morón for strikes on Iran. Prime minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the US and Israel’s “unilateral military action” and described it as “outside international law.”

Foreign minister José Manuel Albares said the bases “are not being used – nor will they be used – for anything that is not in the agreement [with the US], nor for anything that isn’t covered by the UN charter.” Defence minister Margarita Robles said neither base had been used in the US military operation and that operations under the base deal must comply with international legal frameworks and have international support.

Flight-tracking data cited showed 15 US aircraft leaving Rota and Morón since the weekend, with at least seven landing at Ramstein in Germany. US defence officials declined to comment on the reasons for the departures.