Spain Denies US Claim of Agreeing to Cooperate in Middle East Military Operation

White House claims Spain agreed to cooperate in United States military operations in the Middle East after President Donald Trump threatened to cut trade with Madrid. Spain denies the unilateral US claim.

“Regarding Spain, I think they heard the President’s message clearly yesterday,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, according to Al Jazeera, on Thursday (5 March 2026).

“And as I understand it, in the last few hours they have agreed to cooperate with the US military. So I know that the US military is coordinating with their counterparts in Spain.”

Trump on Tuesday (3 March) said he would “cut all trade with Spain” a day after Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said his country would not allow the US to use bases jointly operated in southern Spain in any strike not covered by the UN Charter.

The Spanish government denied it would cooperate with US military strikes against Iran, contradicting the White House statement.

The statement came after José Manuel Albares barred the US from using bases in southern Spain in any attack not covered by the UN Charter.

Speaking on Cadena SER radio, Albares rejected Leavitt’s claims.

“The position of the Spanish government regarding the war in the Middle East and the bombing of Iran, regarding the use of our bases, has not changed one iota,” Albares said.