US President Donald Trump on Tuesday criticised several European countries over their response to the ongoing US-Israel military campaign against Iran, singling out Spain for refusing to allow American forces to use its military bases.
Speaking about the role of European allies, Trump said some countries had supported Washington while others had not.
“Some of the European nations have been helpful, and some haven’t — and I’m very surprised. Germany’s been great… Spain has been terrible. In fact, I told Scott to cut off all dealings with Spain,” he said, adding, “By the way, I’m not happy with the UK either.”
Spain rejects US use of bases
Spain has refused to allow the United States to use its bases for military action against Iran, as Madrid toughened its criticism of the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned what he described as “unilateral military action” by the United States and Israel, calling it an “unjustified and dangerous military intervention” that could create “a more hostile and uncertain international order.”
Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said Spain would not permit any military activity beyond existing bilateral defence agreements or outside international law.
“The bases are not being used nor will they be used for anything that is not in the agreement, nor for anything that isn’t covered by the UN Charter,” Albares said in a television interview.
While Spain has taken a firm stand, the United Kingdom has allowed the United States access to bases in the Middle East but has declined to participate directly in the offensive.
Germany, meanwhile, has adopted a more supportive stance. During a meeting at the Oval Office with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump said they would discuss Iran and major trade agreements.
“We have a meeting with a man who’s become a friend of mine. We’ll obviously be talking a little bit about Iran. We’re talking about some very big trade deals,” Trump said.
Merz responded: “We are on the same page in terms of getting this terrible regime in Tehran away.”
Trump defends strikes on Iran
Trump also defended the US decision to launch strikes against Iran, rejecting suggestions that Washington had acted under pressure from Israel.
“No. Based on the way the negotiation was going, I think Iran was going to attack first, and I didn’t want that to happen, so if anything, I might have forced Israel’s hand,” he said.
He said intelligence assessments indicated an imminent threat.
“I thought we were going to have a situation where we were going to be attacked. A lot of those missiles that are hitting — those are stationary. Those were aimed there for a long period of time,” Trump said.
Describing Iran’s leadership in harsh terms, he added: “If we didn’t do what we’re doing right now, you would’ve had a nuclear war… These people are crazy, and if they had a nuclear weapon, they would’ve used it.”
Trump also claimed that the operation, which he referred to as “Midnight Hammer,” had prevented Iran from rapidly acquiring nuclear weapons.
“Had we not done that, Iran would’ve had a very powerful nuclear weapon within one month,” he said.
He also criticised former President Barack Obama over the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, calling it “maybe the worst deal that I’ve ever seen.”
Conflict widens across the region
The diplomatic tensions come amid an escalating conflict in the Middle East. On February 28, the United States and Israel launched coordinated airstrikes across several Iranian cities, targeting military command centres, air defence systems, missile sites and key regime infrastructure.
The strikes reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with four senior military and security officials, with large explosions reported in Tehran and other cities.
Iran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles and drones at US assets and allied countries across the region, including Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
Oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and shipping routes near the Strait of Hormuz have also come under threat, pushing global energy prices higher and disrupting commercial travel.
Trump indicated the military campaign could continue for “four to five weeks” or longer, saying US forces aim to dismantle Iran’s missile capabilities, cripple its navy and prevent it from developing nuclear weapons.
As Washington presses ahead with its strategy, differences with European allies over the scope and legitimacy of the campaign have become increasingly visible, with Spain emerging as one of the most outspoken critics.
