With Iran war as the backdrop, Spain’s Pedro Sanchez emerges as Europe’s top Trump critic

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain’s Pedro Sanchez has once again emerged as Europe’s most consistently vocal critic of US President Donald Trump, drawing his ire for refusing to allow the American military to stage operations related to its attacks on Iran from Spanish military bases.

Trump lashed out at the Spanish prime minister on Tuesday, saying he would “ cut off all trade with Spain” in retaliation for the affront. The spat intensified the next day when Spain’s foreign minister contradicted a claim by the White House press secretary that Spain had heard Trump’s message “loud and clear” and was cooperating with the US military.

While denouncing the repressive regime in Tehran, Sanchez said he would not back a war that he said was an unjustified assault.

“We are not going to be complicit in something that is bad for the world and is also contrary to our values and interests, just out of fear of reprisals from someone,” Sanchez said, using the slogan “No to the war” in a speech this week.

The tussle over the Spanish military bases is likely more a diplomatic question than one of military consequence. The US has bases across Europe and the Middle East, and other European countries have agreed to cooperate.

Madrid and Washington have had stable, friendly and mostly low-key relations for decades, starting in the 20th century when the US began sharing military bases with Spain when the latter was still under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco.

Sanchez, 54, first took power in 2018 and is one of Europe’s most prominent left-leaning leaders. In recent years, he has also been one of its most outspoken critics of Israel.

He has stuck by the pillars of progressive politics, defending feminism, authorized immigration, human rights, the rules-based international order and the importance of climate change — all topics that have become punching bags of the pro-Trump MAGA movement and far-right politicians in many European neighbors.

Even before the Iran war, Sanchez has stood out as an ideological rival to Trump on a number of issues.

Israel’s harsh European critic

Sanchez has been among Europe’s most vocal critics of Israel’s military action in Gaza. He has consistently criticized the civilian casualties from Israel’s two-year war against Hamas in the enclave, sparked by the terror group’s invasion of southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

He has accused Israel of committing a “genocide” in Gaza, which Israel vehemently denies. In October 2025, Spanish lawmakers approved the enshrinement of a law he introduced to impose an arms embargo on Israel. Spain is also one of a series of countries that recognized a Palestinian state during the war, against Israel’s wishes.

“This is not self-defense, it’s not even an attack — it’s the extermination of a defenseless people,” Sanchez said, while touring Europe and the Middle East to try to broker a peace deal.

No to more defense spending

Among NATO members, Spain was the only country to refuse to agree to commit to increasing military spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product. Sanchez secured a last-minute exemption in a NATO meeting last year, saying that Spain will only spend up to 2.1%, which he called “sufficient and realistic.”

Trump responded by floating the idea that Spain should be kicked out of the military bloc. That has so far remained a veiled threat.

Bucking the anti-immigrant trend

While many European countries raised barriers at their borders and the Trump administration broadened an immigrant crackdown in the US, Spain is in the process of granting work and residency permits to half a million foreigners already in Spain.

Sanchez has pointedly alluded to Trump as he extolled the benefits of migration for the country’s strong economy.

“MAGA-style leaders may say that our country can’t handle taking in so many migrants — that this is a suicidal move, the desperate act of a collapsing country,” he wrote in a recent New York Times op-ed. “But don’t let them fool you. Spain is booming.”

Against the Tech Bros

Under Sanchez, Spain has joined countries like Australia and France in trying to curb the use of social media among younger teens. That’s in direct contrast to the Trump administration’s embrace of Big Tech companies and what they consider the defense of the freedom of speech on social media.

Elon Musk, X’s owner, lashed out at the Spanish leader last month, calling Sánchez “the true fascist totalitarian” after he announced a plan to prohibit under-16-year-olds from accessing social media accounts.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.