Spain's Sánchez says 'no to the war' in Iran despite Trump's trade threat

MADRID (AP) — Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez again criticized the U.S. and Israel's subject actions successful Iran, lasting steadfast connected Wednesday against commercialized threats from Washington and informing that the warfare successful the Middle East risked “playing Russian roulette” with millions of lives.

“We are not going to beryllium complicit successful thing that is atrocious for the satellite and is besides contrary to our values ​​and interests, conscionable retired of fearfulness of reprisals from someone,” Sánchez said successful a televised address.

President Donald Trump connected Tuesday threatened to extremity U.S. commercialized with Spain due to the fact that of Spain’s refusal to let the U.S. to usage associated subject bases successful the state successful its attacks connected Iran.

Sánchez has called the U.S. and Israeli attacks connected Iran an “unjustifiable” and “dangerous” subject intervention.

It's not wide however Trump would chopped disconnected commercialized with Spain, which is simply a subordinate of the European Union. The EU negotiates commercialized connected behalf of each its 27 subordinate states.

On Wednesday, Sánchez expressed interest that the attacks connected Iran could pb to different costly subject quagmire successful the Middle East, akin to the past American interventions successful Iraq and Afghanistan.

“In short, the presumption of the authorities of Spain tin beryllium summarized successful 4 words,” Sánchez said. “No to the war.”

The EU said Wednesday it would support its interests and enactment to stabilize its commercialized narration with the U.S, with which it struck a commercialized woody past twelvemonth aft months of economical uncertainty implicit Trump’s tariff blitz.

“We basal successful afloat solidarity with each subordinate states and each its citizens and, done our communal commercialized policy, basal acceptable to enactment if indispensable to safeguard EU interests,” said European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill.

After Spain denied U.S. usage of its bases, Trump connected Tuesday said “we could usage their basal if we want,” referencing the Rota and Morón installations successful confederate Spain that the U.S. and Spain share, but which stay nether Spanish command. “We could conscionable alert successful and usage it,” Trump said. “Nobody’s going to archer america not to usage it, but we don’t person to.”

Tuesday's threats from Washington were conscionable the latest lawsuit of the U.S. president wielding the menace of tariffs oregon commercialized embargoes arsenic punishment. The U.S. Supreme Court past period struck down Trump’s far-reaching planetary tariffs, saying exigency powers bash not let the president to unilaterally enforce sweeping tariffs.

However, Trump maintains that the tribunal allows him to alternatively enforce full-scale embargoes connected different nations of his choosing.

Spain has not had immoderate nonstop interaction with the U.S. since Trump's criticisms, Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said Wednesday.

“I privation to nonstop a connection of calm,” Cuerpo told Spanish vigor presumption Cadena Ser. “Beyond those comments (by Trump), determination person not been immoderate much moves (by the U.S.).”

Spain's main concern groups expressed concerns implicit the U.S. commercialized threat, calling the U.S. a “key spouse from an economical and governmental standpoint.”

“We spot that our commercialized relations volition yet not beryllium affected successful immoderate way,” the Spanish concern chambers CEOE, CEPYME and ATA said Tuesday.

Last year, Spain's cardinal slope issued a study that concluded Europe's fourth-largest system was comparatively cushioned compared to the EU mean erstwhile it came to vulnerability to tariffs by Trump.

Spain’s exports and imports with the U.S. accounted for 4.4% of GDP, the Bank of Spain said, portion commercialized with the U.S. for the EU arsenic a full was 10.1%.

Exports of Spanish goods to the U.S. accounted for 1% of Spain's GDP, oregon 16 cardinal euros ($18.6 billion), making it Spain’s sixth largest export marketplace for goods, the slope concluded. The Southern European nation's main exports to the U.S. see pharmaceutical products, olive lipid refined state and electrical transformers, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity.

Spain’s presumption connected the Iran struggle is the latest flare-up successful its narration with the Trump administration.

Spain was an outspoken professional of Israel’s warfare successful Gaza and attracted Trump's ire past twelvemonth erstwhile it backed retired of NATO’s pledge to summation defence spending by members to 5% of GDP. At the time, Spain said it could conscionable its estimated defence needs by spending little — conscionable 2.1% of its GDP — a determination that Trump roundly criticized and besides threatened with tariffs successful response.

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Wilson reported from Barcelona. Associated Press writer Sam McNeil successful Brussels contributed to this report.

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