Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez barred the United States from using military bases in Spain to refuel aircraft or stage operations tied to the campaign against Iran, positioning himself as the loudest European critic of American foreign policy, even as a Madrid judge formally charged his wife with corruption and an Israeli legal group filed a complaint against him at the International Criminal Court.
The move drew a sharp response from President Trump, who posted on Truth Social that Spain's "financial numbers, despite contributing almost nothing to NATO and their military defense, are absolutely horrendous." Trump had already told Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in March to "cut off all dealings with Spain."
The collision between Washington and Madrid is not a single disagreement. It is a rolling confrontation over NATO spending, Iran, Israel, and what critics say is Sanchez's effort to distract from a widening web of family scandals that have dragged his approval to historic lows. A March YouGov poll found 61 percent of Spaniards hold an unfavorable view of their prime minister.
This past weekend, Sanchez hosted a conference of progressive leaders from around the world in Barcelona. Breitbart reported that the gathering brought together figures from Europe, Latin America, Africa, and even U.S. Democrats, all framed around defending multilateralism and a "rules-based order."
Sanchez used the stage to cast himself as the global left's leading voice against Washington. A few days after the conflict with Iran began, he declared:
"We are not going to be complicit in something that is bad for the world and is also contrary to our values and interests, just out of fear of reprisals from someone."
He went further, telling the conference that he found it "very difficult to find other interlocutors, beyond China, who can resolve this situation in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz." That remark, suggesting Beijing is the most viable partner for resolving a crisis in the Middle East, drew attention for reasons Sanchez may not have intended. The Spanish leader and his wife had just returned from a state visit to China last week.
The pattern fits a broader confrontation between the Trump administration and NATO allies who have refused to step up. Trump has publicly called NATO a "paper tiger" over the Strait of Hormuz, accusing allies of complaining about oil prices while refusing to contribute ships or resources.
Spain's refusal to increase defense spending is not new, but the gap between what NATO asks and what Madrid delivers has become a flashpoint. Trump pushed NATO allies to raise defense spending to 5 percent of GDP. Newsmax reported that Spain rejected the proposal outright, worsening an already strained relationship.
During a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Just The News reported that Trump said, "Spain has not come through. No. Spain has not been loyal to NATO." He added: "I think Spain should be reprimanded for that. I think it's very bad that they did that."
Spain was not the only ally drawing the president's ire. Trump also expressed frustration with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for refusing to allow U.S. use of British military bases tied to the Iran campaign. The New York Post reported that Trump called Starmer's performance "very disappointing" and said Britain should have offered base access "without question or hesitation."
Spain, though, stands out. It is not merely declining to increase spending. It actively blocked the United States from using jointly operated bases on Spanish soil. And Sanchez has gone beyond passive resistance, he decried the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran as illegal, imposed a total arms embargo and sanctions on Israel, recognized a Palestinian state on May 22, 2024, and downgraded Spain's diplomatic relations with Jerusalem.
The administration has also confronted France over NATO inaction, with Trump publicly criticizing President Macron for refusing to send ships to the Gulf. But Spain's case is more layered, because Sanchez's foreign policy posturing coincides with a domestic crisis he seems eager to bury.
On Monday, a Madrid judge formally charged Begona Gomez, Sanchez's wife, with embezzlement, influence peddling, corruption in business dealings, and misappropriation of funds. The 39-page indictment followed a two-year investigation into her conduct at Madrid's Complutense University, where she allegedly used her position to advance personal interests. Gomez denied all charges. The complaint was brought by Manos Limpias, a Spanish anti-corruption group.
Sanchez's brother, David Sanchez, faces a separate influence-peddling scandal. He was implicated in 2017 for accepting a bespoke job with a regional government, right after the prime minister became secretary-general of Spain's Socialist Workers Party.
Conservative Spanish journalist Javier Negre, owner of La Derecha Diario and UHN Plus, told Fox News Digital that Sanchez's confrontation with Trump is a calculated distraction. Negre said:
"The stance of President Pedro Sánchez against President Donald Trump is neither improvised nor based on convictions. It is purely electoral marketing. He has realized that by confronting the most powerful president in the world and getting Trump to speak about him, he achieves two things: first, he positions himself in the media as the leading figure of the global left and globalism against the new right."
Negre added that the anti-Trump posture "diverts attention from the corruption scandals that have led to investigations involving his wife and his brother and to the imprisonment of people close to him."
Sanchez's supporters argue the charges are an attempt by right-wing parties to undermine his coalition. But the legal filings keep coming, and they do not come from one direction alone.
On Friday, the Shurat Hadin Israel Law Center filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court in the Hague against Sanchez. The complaint alleged that Spain assisted the Iranian regime by transferring technology related to explosives, roughly $1.5 million worth in 2024 and 2025, despite international sanctions against Tehran for supporting terrorism.
The broader numbers are larger. Fox News Digital reported that Sanchez's government authorized exports of over €6 million, approximately $7.2 million, in dual-technology equipment to Iran between 2018 and 2024. Opposition leader Santiago Abascal denounced Sanchez in Spain's Congress, accusing him of selling detonators and explosives to Iran.
In March, footage obtained by MEMRI from Iran-controlled Press TV showed the Iranian regime had plastered a thank-you note bearing Sanchez's picture onto a missile fired at Israel. That image circulated widely and deepened the perception that Spain's posture had earned Tehran's gratitude.
Sanchez has also drawn criticism for his stance on the 2023 Hamas attack, which killed 1,195 people and resulted in the kidnapping of 251 nationals and foreigners. Rather than align firmly with Israel's response, Sanchez moved Spain toward recognition of Palestinian statehood and imposed sanctions on the Israeli government.
Fox News Digital reached out to La Moncloa, the Spanish prime minister's office, and Spain's foreign minister for an interview or official comment. Spanish authorities said the prime minister was not giving new interviews "due to conflicts in his schedule" and that information regarding his positions "could be found in his many public declarations over the past few days."
That non-answer tells its own story. Sanchez has time for a global progressive summit in Barcelona and a state visit to Beijing. He does not, apparently, have time to answer questions about corruption charges against his wife, arms transfers to Iran, or why he blocked American access to military bases on Spanish soil.
The administration's patience with underperforming NATO allies has been wearing thin for months. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has suggested re-examining the entire NATO relationship in light of repeated refusals from member states to meet their obligations.
Sanchez assumed office in 2018. Since then, his approval has cratered, his family faces active criminal proceedings, and his foreign policy has drifted toward Beijing and away from the alliance that has underwritten European security for seven decades. He has tried to turn that drift into a brand, the brave progressive standing up to American power.
But bravery looks different when the man waving the flag is also running from the courthouse.
