THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Trump thinks Spain’s a ‘loser.’ Spain’s ready to prove him wrong at the World Cup. Tournament favorite Spain is at odds with the U.S. president over Iran, Gaza, defense spending, immigration and green energy.

'We say no to war': Spain pushes back against Trump's threats Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats would not force Madrid into supporting the American-Israeli war in Iran. “We are not going to take a position that goes against our values and principles out of fear of reprisals from others,” Sánchez said during a televised address to the nation on Wednesday, just hours after Trump threatened to halt trade with Spain after Madrid barred the U.S. from using jointly operated military bases to attack Iran. The most prominent Spaniard in Brussels echoed the defiant tone coming from Madrid. European Commission Vice President Teresa Ribera on Tuesday disputed Washington’s ability to carry out its threat to cut commercial ties with the Iberian nation and urged the EU to respond to Trump’s “bully tone” with unity. Advertisement “It’s important to stay strong and to stand firm,” she said. While expressing solidarity with Middle Eastern countries and Cyprus in the wake of Iran’s drone strikes, Sánchez stressed that the crisis had broken out after the U.S. and Israel launched an unauthorized attack on Iran. Spain’s prime minister said Madrid was oblig…

Donald Trump's least favorite country might just win ... - POLITICO MADRID — No European country has infuriated Donald Trump more than Spain. Now it’s desperate to win his World Cup. Teenage superstar Lamine Yamal, Rodri and co. enter the tournament as joint favorites alongside France. With the U.S. president apparently intent on making this a World Cup that projects his personal influence and America’s soft power, victory would be sweet for Spanish soccer fans — but especially so for their prime minister. Outspoken socialist leader Pedro Sánchez, a supporter of Atlético Madrid, has clashed spectacularly with Trump over the Iran war, but also regarding NATO spending and Israel’s assault in Gaza. Meanwhile their policies on issues from energy to immigration could hardly be further apart. Advertisement “No prime minister previously has had as much acknowledgement [for fighting Trump] on the international stage or taken such an anti-American stance,” said Paco Camas, head of public opinion at polling firm Ipsos. Sánchez, he added, is positioning himself “at the forefront of resistance to the reactionary wave sweeping across Europe and the West.” A recent poll by a public research ins…

Saying 'no to war' — and Trump — Spanish PM Sánchez likens Iran attack ... U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening to cut off trade ties with Spain because its left-wing leader, Pedro Sánchez, is opposing the war against Iran. (CN) — Socialist Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stood firm in his anti-war stance Wednesday, emerging as a leading voice among European leaders to denounce U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to attack Iran and plunge the world into a new crisis. The prime minister’s Wednesdayspeechwas a response to Trump’s assault on Spain’s anti-war position during a White HousemeetingTuesday with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Sánchez, one of the onlyleft-wing leaders leftin the European Union, called the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran illegal under international law and warned it could lead to disastrous consequences similar to those of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. French President Emmanuel Macron alsocalled the war“outside of international law” in a televised speech Tuesday. “We reject the breach of international law that protects us all, especially the most vulnerable members, the civilian population,” Sánchez said. “We must not assume that t…

Spain‑US rift: Pedro Sánchez' defiance of Trump is dictated by domestic ... A protester’s sign reading ‘For peace and justice. No to war’ in Spanish, at a demonstration in Logroño on March 12, 2026. Www.mariomartija.es/Shutterstock The war in Iran has yet again exposed the tensions between Spain’s Pedro Sánchez and Donald Trump. The two leaders have clashed repeatedly over the last year, including over Spain’s ongoing opposition to Israel’s conduct in Gaza, its refusal to raise Nato spending above 2% of GDP, and now its refusal to support the US war in Iran. In late February, Spain barred the US from using its joint military bases in Rota and Morón for operations linked to the Iran war. As a result, an incensed Trump stated “We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain.” Read more: Could the US cut off trade with Spain? Here’s what international law says Sánchez has since doubled down on his opposition in a nationally televised address , where he emphatically stated the Spanish government’s position: “No a la guerra”, no to war. On social media he also asserted: “NO to violations of international law” and “NO to the illusion that we can solv…

Spain says 'no to war' as Trump fumes over 'terrible' ally WORLD Donald Trump Add Topic 'No to war': Spanish leader holds firm amid Trump's Iran airstrikes Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez refused to support the US war with Iran even as Trump threatens to cut trade ties with Spain. Terry Collins USA TODAY March 4, 2026 Updated March 5, 2026, 9:45 a.m. ET Hear this story Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has refused to involve his country in the U.S. war with Iran. President Donald Trump threatened to halt trade deals with Spain for not allowing the U.S. to use its military bases. Sánchez stated his government's position is "No to war," citing past conflicts and the need to uphold international law. The Spanish leader has emerged as a major critic of the joint U.S. and Israeli attacks against Iran. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez held firm in refusing his country's involvement in the U.S. war with Iran and rebuffing President Donald Trump ’s threat to cut off trade deals with them as punishment. "The position of the Government of Spain can be summed up in three words," Sánchez said during a televised address on March 4. "No to war." Sánchez's criticism of the esca…

Trump thinks Spain's a 'loser.' Spain's ready to prove him wrong at the ... — by No European country has infuriated Donald Trump more than Spain. Now it’s desperate to win his World Cup. Teenage superstar Lamine Yamal, Rodri and co. enter the tournament as joint favorites alongside France. With the U.S. president apparently intent on making this a World Cup that projects his personal influence and America’s soft power, victory would be sweet for Spanish soccer fans — but especially so for their prime minister. Outspoken socialist leader Pedro Sánchez, a supporter of Atlético Madrid, has clashed spectacularly with Trump over the Iran war, but also regarding NATO spending and Israel’s assault in Gaza. Meanwhile their policies on issues from energy to immigration could hardly be further apart. Read thefull story about the failing Washington-Madrid relationship here.

Trump: Spain is a loser - majorcadailybulletin.com Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show. | Video: Youtube: PBS NewsHour US PresidentDonald Trumpmakes no secret of his animosity towardsSpain, and less than two days after criticising Prime MinisterPedro Sánchez's government for its stance against war with Iran, he hasonce again voiced his criticism,reiterating his displeasure at Spain's refusal to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP. “We have many winners, but Spain is a loser and the United Kingdom has been a disappointment,” said the tycoon in an interview with theNew York Post,in which he once again singled out these two countries, a recurring target of his reprimands over the past week. In Trump's opinion, Spain is a country that is “hostile to NATO.” “It doesn't play as a team, and we're not going to play as a team with Spain either,”he said, without clarifying the possible implications of a statement that once again sounds like a threat. “As a Spaniard, I cannot accept that the president of theUnited States, a country with which we have many ties,speaks …

Trump calls Spain a 'loser' in latest row over war in Iran 5 Mar, 2026 @ 19:07 International Affairs · Lead · Politics 5 mins read Trump calls Spain a ‘loser’ as diplomatic relations continue to freefall in wake of row over Middle East conflict by Ben Pawlowski DONALD Trump has called Spain a ‘loser’ in his latest outburst over Madrid’s refusal to allow US troops to use bases in Andalucia for ongoing operations in the Middle East. The US president’s latest rant came just 48 hours after he made an unprecedented threat to cut off all trade with Spain and hinted that he would conduct operations from two jointly-operated bases located in Cadiz and Sevilla anyway, even though Spain had already exercised a veto against their use. Trump also took the opportunity to lash out at UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, who has been reluctant to back ongoing US strikes on Iran. In a conversation by phone with the New York Post, Trump said: “We have a lot of winners, but Spain is a loser and the UK has been very disappointing.” He added: “[Spain is] very hostile to NATO. They don’t pay – they’re the only one that voted against the 5 per cent [of GDP on defence] payment, and they’re very hostile t…

Trump Criticizes NATO, Declares Iran Ceasefire Over and Renews Push for Greenland https://www.europesays.com/3116088/ He also sharply criticized Spain, calling it “a hopeless case” and accusing Madrid of failing to meet its…

Spain denies US bases after Iran strikes as Trump feud with Prime ... Tensions between Spain and the United States have been building for months, but they escalated this week after the U.S. struck Iran over the weekend. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez escalated his criticism, condemning the Iranian regime but alsocriticizing the United States’ response, saying it’s contributing “to a more uncertain and hostile international order.” Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™. Point phone camera here “In short, the position of the government of Spain can be summarized in four words,” Sánchez said. “No to the war.” Sánchez also refused to allow U.S. military personnel to use Spanish bases – unlike some of his E.U. counterparts — saying his government wouldn’t “be complicit in something that is bad for the world.” The decision drew a threat from President Donald Trump on Tuesday, who said he would cut off trade with Spain. “We don’t want anything to do with Spain,”Trump told reporters, saying “we’re going to cut off all trade.” Sánchez quickly pushed back, saying Spain would not be pressured into changing its position. “We’re not going t…

For Pedro Sánchez, Europe Has to Leave the US's Shadow - Jacobin O ver the past two months, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has drawn international attention as the most prominent European critic of the US-Israeli war on Iran. As clips of his speeches have gone viral on social media, the Financial Times dubbed him “Trump's nemesis”; the Independent “ Europe’s conscience ”; while the New York Times described him as “a progressive superhero for many on the global left.” It’s easy to see why. As fellow European leaders shrank from openly opposing Washington’s military aggression, Sánchez’s outspoken rhetoric cut through with progressives across the globe. Before the Spanish parliament in March, he described the war as “illegal, absurd, and cruel,” while in a recent op-ed in Le Monde Diplomatique he called out “the unilateral attempts by the United States to engineer regime change in Venezuela and Iran — all without seeking even a veneer of international approval.” Nor did his defiance stop at words. From the beginning of the war, Sánchez’s center-left administration has refused the United States use of jointly run air bases on Spanish soil — which saw President Donald Trump thre…

Trump: Spain rejects U.S. claim it agreed to cooperate amid Iran war - CNBC In this article Spain has pushed back against the White House's claim that it agreed to cooperate militarily with Washington amid the conflict with Iran,doubling down on its anti-war stancedespite the U.S. president's threat to sever trade ties. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday that Madrid's position of refusing to allow the country's military bases to be used in the ongoing Iran war had now changed. "With respect to Spain, I think they heard the president's message yesterday loud and clear, and it's my understanding, over the past several hours, they've agreed to cooperate with the U.S. military," Leavitt told reporters. "The president expects all of our European allies, of course, to cooperate in this long sought-after mission, not just for the United States but also for Europe, to crush the rogue Iranian regime." Spain swiftly and "categorically" rejected Leavitt's assertion, however. "The Spanish government's position on the war in the Middle East ... and the use of our bases has not changed at all," Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told private radio station Cadena…

Trump calls Spain a 'loser' and warns the United States will not be a ... Iker Seisdedos Washington - Mar 05, 2026 - 18:10 CET Share on Whatsapp Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Desplegar Redes Sociales Prefer EL PAÍS on Google Compartir: Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Bluesky Linkedin Copy link U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out again at Spain on Thursday. He did so 48 hours after accusing the NATO ally and European Union member of being a “terrible” partner and threatening it with a trade “embargo” for not allowing the use of the shared-use bases of Morón Air Base and Naval Station Rota for his war in Iran. Trump spoke by phone with New York Post on Thursday. In that conversation he called Spain a “loser” and said that U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, should support the U.S. campaign against Iran “without question.” “We have a lot of winners, but Spain is a loser, and UK has been very disappointing,” Trump said in a phone interview with The Post. “[Spain is] very hostile to NATO.” Trump was referring to a longstanding dispute with Madrid. “They don’t pay their — they’re the only one that voted against the 5% payment, and they’re very hostile to everyone,” he said, referring to…

Donald Trump's least favorite country might just win Donald Trump's ... Featured Politics Donald Trump’s least favorite country might just win Donald Trump’s World Cup by host June 14, 2026 June 14, 2026 17 MADRID — No European country has infuriated Donald Trump more than Spain. Now it’s desperate to win his World Cup. Teenage superstar Lamine Yamal, Rodri and co. enter the tournament as joint favorites alongside France. With the U.S. president apparently intent on making this a World Cup that projects his personal influence and America’s soft power, victory would be sweet for Spanish soccer fans — but especially so for their prime minister. Outspoken socialist leader Pedro Sánchez, a supporter of Atlético Madrid, has clashed spectacularly with Trump over the Iran war, but also regarding NATO spending and Israel’s assault in Gaza. Meanwhile their policies on issues from energy to immigration could hardly be further apart. “No prime minister previously has had as much acknowledgement [for fighting Trump] on the international stage or taken such an anti-American stance,” said Paco Camas, head of public opinion at polling firm Ipsos. Sánchez, he added, is positioning himself “at the…