Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez sharply criticized U.S. President Donald Trump after Trump threatened to halt trade with Madrid over Spain’s stance on the Middle East conflict. In a televised address to the nation, Sánchez said that humanity’s greatest disasters begin this way and warned that one cannot play 'Russian roulette' with the fate of millions of people.

The tension between the two NATO allies has escalated following Spain’s opposition to U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, which Sánchez described as reckless and illegal. He also blocked the use of Spanish naval and air bases for U.S. operations targeting Tehran. The dispute underscores growing divisions among Western allies over the handling of the Middle East crisis.

According to Reuters, the confrontation adds strain to transatlantic relations as both nations navigate their differing approaches to regional security and diplomacy.