Rabat – The European Commission said on Wednesday that it is “ready” to act against US President Donald Trump’s commercial threats to Spain.
“Through our common trade policy, we are ready to act if necessary to safeguard the interests of the EU,” the EU Commission said in a statement.
It also called on the US to respect trade deals between Brussels and Washington, describing them as mutually beneficial.
“Safeguarding this relationship, particularly at a time of global disruption, is more important than ever and clearly in the interest of both sides,” the statement said.
EU Council President Antonio Costa also conveyed the bloc’s solidarity against Trump’s threats.
“The EU will always ensure that the interests of its Member States are fully protected,” he said.
The announcement came a day after Trump declared that Washington could sever trade ties after Madrid refused to authorize the use of American military bases for attacks on Iran.
Trump accused Spain of obstructing US security priorities, describing it as “being terrible.”
“We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain,” Trump added.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez slammed Trump in a sharp response today, saying: “The question is not if we are on the side of the ayatollahs- nobody is. The question is whether we are in favor of peace and international legality.”
He said the position on US-Israel attacks on Iran aligns with Madrid’s stances on wars on Ukraine and Gaza.
The Spanish leader said he does not want his country to be “complicit in something that is bad for the world – and that is also contrary to our values and interests – simply out of fear of reprisals from someone.”
Sanchez also urged Israel and Iran to end the war before it is too late.
“You cannot respond to one illegality with another because that’s how humanity’s great disasters begin,” Sanchez said, adding: “You cannot play Russian roulette with the destiny of millions.”
Sanchez recalled the 2003 invasion of Iraq supported by Jose Maria Aznar, describing it as the trigger for the “greatest wave of insecurity our continent has suffered since the fall of the Berlin Wall.”
The war between Israel, US and Iran continues, with Tehran reporting that the death toll reached 1,045.
Israel also acknowledged damages affecting its economy, with the finance ministry saying these repercussions to the country’s sector could reach $2.9 billion a week.
