Spain: in the face of Trump's threats, we say: No to imperialist war! No to NATO! US military bases, get out!

Spain has garnered much attention amid the imperialist war waged by the US and Israel against Iran. Pedro Sánchez and the Spanish government have emphatically opposed the criminal military campaign. Sánchez is presented by international public opinion as the most courageous and daring western leader in openly opposing Trump and Netanyahu’s war. What does this mean and what position should we communists defend?

[This article was originally published on 5 March at comunistasrevolucionarios.org. A postscript with more recent updates is included at the end of this article.]

The Trump-Sánchez clash

The confrontation between the US and Spain has been growing in recent days and has now reached its climax. The most recent events began on Monday, 1 March, when the Spanish government denied the US government permission to continue using the two American bases it has on Spanish territory (Morón, in Seville, and Rota, in Cádiz) as platforms for intervention in the war against Iran.

The truth is that in the weeks and days leading up to the imperialist attack, dozens of US fighter jets, tanker planes, and surveillance aircraft had used these bases in preparation for the attack with the knowledge of the Spanish government.

The change in position by the Sánchez government forced the US to transfer a squadron of 14 large tanker and logistics transport aircraft from the Morón and Rota bases to Germany and the United Kingdom, so that they could continue to operate in support of the attack on Iran.

The following day, at a press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House, Trump strongly attacked Spain’s position. He stated that “Spain is a terrible ally” and even threatened to cut off all trade and relations with Spain. In an arrogant tone, he added:

“We could use their bases if we wanted to, we could just fly in and use it, nobody is going to tell us not to use it, but we don’t have to.”

Merz, who was present, took a cowardly stance, remaining silent while an EU partner was being attacked. He even joined in Trump’s criticism.

When Trump shouts, western leaders bow their heads servilely. So one might have expected Sánchez to back down from his tough stance on the Iran war. But what we saw at the press conference on 4 March was that in response to Trump’s threats and reproaches, instead of cowering, Sánchez raised his voice in defiance.

During his appearance, Sánchez said:

“The Spanish government’s position can be summed up in three words: No to war. We will not support this disaster.”

In a direct criticism of other western leaders and the Spanish right wing, who openly support the US imperialist attack, he stated:

“Some will say that this is naive. What is naive is to think that violence is the solution. Or to think that blind and servile obedience is leadership.”

He added, in direct reference to Trump:

“We will not be complicit in something bad for the world, for fear of reprisals from anyone.”

Sánchez drew a parallel between the present war and the 2003 Iraq War, which was unanimously opposed by Spanish society and which, on 11 March 2004, resulted in the worst terrorist attack on Spanish soil, leading to 202 deaths. Sánchez ended his speech by saying, in a further direct reference to Trump:

“In Spain, we are against this disaster because we understand that governments are there to improve people’s lives, not to make them worse, and it is unacceptable that those leaders who are incapable of fulfilling this task use the smoke of war to hide their failure and, in passing, line the pockets of a few.”

Feeling the humiliating international impact of Sánchez’s challenge, the response of the Trump administration has been hysterical and theatrical. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent replied that by refusing to support the war, “the Spanish are going to put American lives at risk.” This is the height of cynicism. The only thing putting the lives of American soldiers at risk is Trump’s warmongering adventure. It was he who bombed a country unprovoked, with the blatant aim of overthrowing its government.

The most scandalous reaction came from White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, who stated shortly afterwards that “Spain has agreed to cooperate militarily in the last few hours.” This was immediately denied by Spanish Foreign Minister Albares, who responded to the press: “I categorically deny this. The Spanish government’s position on the war in the Middle East, the bombings in Iran, and the use of our bases has not changed one iota.” He added: ”Our position of ‘no to war’ remains clear and unequivocal.”

Sánchez and Europe facing Trump

The truth must be told. It is not that Sánchez has unique personal qualities that place him above other western leaders. In fact, Sánchez is repeating the same old liberal-bourgeois mantra: trust in the UN, international law, diplomacy, etc.

Sánchez is also careful to emphasise his criticism of the Iranian regime before naming or criticising the US, presenting the aggressor and the victim as equals. Even his refusal to get involved militarily in this conflict is not as categorical or courageous as he wants it to seem. Bowing to imperialist pressure, he has used the Iranian attack on the British base there as an excuse to get involved, sending a single frigate to support Cyprus. This is despite the fact that the British government confirmed at the last minute that the drones that hit its base in Cyprus were not launched by Iran.

It is not that Sánchez is brave. It is that we have never seen such a level of servility, cowardice, and indolence from western governments – European ones in particular – toward their American ‘friend’.

Deep down, it is not just a question of cowardice, but of class interests. The US and Israel defend the interests of all these scoundrels.

Sánchez’s position, in truth, goes beyond his personal characteristics. It is a reflection of the long and militant tradition of irreconcilable opposition by the Spanish working class and youth to imperialist wars.

Sánchez is an outsider; he does not come from within the establishment and does not have the same class ties that other social democratic leaders, not to mention conservatives, have with the ruling class. This is why he operates with a greater degree of independence than other European political leaders with regard to their respective capitalist classes and US imperialism.

He is an adventurer, with a certain amount of audacity, who constantly swings from one side to the other. He knows how to rely on the masses when he needs to, especially in moments of political weakness. When this is secured, he swings towards the ruling class and its interests.

The reality is that since Sánchez has been in government, military spending has increased by 70 percent. He has fully supported the war in Ukraine and he has yielded to pressure from Morocco by accepting its sovereignty over Western Sahara without a democratic referendum to endorse it.

Beyond this, Sánchez makes no secret of his ambitions to be recognised as a world-class statesman, standing up to Trump. He is waiting for Trump to suffer a defeat in the US midterm elections in November, to vindicate himself and use this against the pro-US Spanish right wing. Undoubtedly, the longer this war drags on, the greater the price the Spanish right wing will pay for its servile support for Trump in this hugely unpopular conflict.

Our position

We emphatically reject this imperialist war. We unconditionally defend Iran. We long for the defeat of imperialism, which is the main enemy of the world’s working class and all oppressed peoples, and we call for international mobilisation against this war. Only the Iranian people have the right to settle accounts with the dictatorship of the mullahs.

As far as the Spanish government’s position is concerned, we support its stance of rejecting the war and refusing to collaborate with the imperialist bandits involved in it. But this position is insufficient. The US bases on Spanish territory are of no use to the Spanish working class. On the contrary, they serve imperialist interests and could be used tomorrow against the revolutionary struggle of Spanish workers against the capitalist system.

Therefore, we demand the cancellation of the agreement with the US and the immediate withdrawal of US troops from Spanish soil. Furthermore, we demand Spain’s withdrawal from NATO. We demand the holding of a referendum in which the population can express its opinion on this issue.

And what about the economic measures proposed by President Sánchez to deal with provoked by US and Israeli imperialism? Sánchez says that the Spanish economy is strong enough to withstand the rise in oil and gas prices caused by the conflict, implying that the public budget will be used to cushion the rise in fuel and energy prices for businesses and consumers. In short, indirectly, through our taxes, working-class families will be asked to pay the cost of the rise in fuel and electricity prices.

In view of this, we demand the nationalisations of the oil and electricity companies under workers’ control without compensation except for small shareholders on the basis of need.

Similarly, the entire arms industry, with all its blood-soaked profits, must be expropriated and converted for socially useful purposes.

Young people and workers must be mobilised against the imperialist war in Iran and against the threats and arrogance of the Trump administration. The Spanish state is in a unique position to take the first step in generating a powerful, global anti-war movement. The left, trade unions, and social movements must join forces and call for an initial major day of mobilisation throughout the country. This could be used to launch an international appeal against the imperialist war in Iran and against the governments that support it, beginning with a direct appeal to the powerful working class of the United States and its youth.

Complete disengagement of the Spanish state from this criminal war!

Bring back the frigate and the ship sent to Cyprus!

US and Israel, hands off Iran!

Let the rich and the militarists pay for the war!

Class war against imperialism!

In the face of capitalist barbarism, socialist revolution!

Postscript

This article was published shortly before the Sánchez government’s decision to send a frigate and a supply ship to a military base in Cyprus to participate in ‘defensive’ tasks and the eventual evacuation of people, according to a statement made by Defence Minister Margarita Robles.

Using the excuse of a drone launched over a British base in Cyprus that is being used for attacks against Iran, the origins of which are unclear, Cyprus and the UK have requested military support to defend this military base from future attacks, and the Spanish government has joined in by sending the aforementioned ships.

At this point, we must reevaluate the enigmatic words of White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt last Wednesday when she stated that “in recent hours, Spain has decided to cooperate militarily with the US,” which was categorically denied by Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares.

Leavitt's words came in parallel with a meeting between Defense Minister Margarita Robles and the US ambassador in Madrid, Benjamin León. Scandalously, nothing has been said about that meeting. What does the Sánchez government have to hide? Hours later, the government announced the dispatch of two ships to Cyprus to collaborate in the “defense” of the Akrotiri military base, which will be used by the US in its war against Iran. The situation is very clear.

Spain has committed itself to this reactionary war alongside the US and Israel. The fact that the government – if we take its words at face value – is, at the moment, prohibiting the US from using the bases in Morón and Rota for its war with Iran does not negate this other fact, which implies clear Spanish participation in the conflict on the US side.

Clearly, the government has been unable to stand firm in the face of pressure from the US government, from key sectors of the Spanish ruling class that have panicked, and from the Spanish military, which maintains strong ties with the US. This also helps the right wing, which is now accusing the government of deceiving the population with a false pacifist stance. It helps to create confusion and disillusionment among a section of the population that had been enthusiastic about what seemed to be a courageous position by the ‘progressive’ Spanish government on this criminal war.

The decision by the leaders of SUMAR and Izquierda Unida to justify the government's actions discredits these organisations as political forces committed to the struggle against this imperialist war. The rank and file of Izquierda Unida, in particular, must demand an immediate rectification from their leaders.