BURSTThe White House press secretary earlier said Spain had agreed to ‘cooperate with the US military’ after Donald Trump threatened to cut trade to Spain
in Madrid
Spain’s defence minister, Margarita Robles, has become the latest member of Pedro Sánchez’s government to emphatically dismiss White House suggestions that the administration has executed a U-turn and is now prepared to let the US use its bases to strike Iran.
“They know it’s not true. Words are just words. I’m not going to speculate; obviously, it could be a step backward they’re trying to take after President Trump’s inappropriate statements, but the facts are crystal clear. The Spanish government will not authorise the use of the Morón and Rota bases in this context.
We all understand that what is happening in Tehran is terrible, a violation of human rights. As a woman, I am particularly pained by the situation of women in Tehran, but no one can become the international guardian. There are norms, rules; even within the United States, congressional authorisation would have been required. Spain cannot support unilateral actions that lack support from international law.”
“Ethically and legally, we are doing the right thing. We will always support peace scenarios because Spain only acts when there is an umbrella of international law within the frameworks of the UN, Nato, or the EU.”
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