Washington DC [US], March 5: The White House has claimed that Spain agreed to cooperate with US military operations against Iran after President Donald Trump threatened financial penalties; however, Madrid has rejected the US assertion.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday (local time) said that Spain "agreed to cooperate with the US military."
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"With respect to Spain, I think they heard the President's message yesterday loud and clear, and it's my understanding that over the past several hours they've agreed to cooperate with the US military," said Leavitt.
VIDEO | Washington DC: US Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) says, "Spain has agreed to cooperate with the US military. President Trump expects all EU allies to cooperate."
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 4, 2026
(Source: Third Party)
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/LcWvbDnBde
She further stated that the US military "is coordinating with their counterparts in Spain" and that Trump "expects all Europe, all of our European allies, of course, to cooperate," adding that the Iranian regime also posed a threat to European countries.
Spain rejects the assertion
However, Spain rejected the assertion. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, in a local radio interview, denied Leavitt's account. "Our position has not changed," Albares said.
| ÚLTIMA HORA: José Manuel Albares, ministro de Asuntos Exteriores de España, desmiente «tajantemente» las declaraciones de la portavoz de la Casa Blanca: «No ha cambiado ni una coma y no tengo la menor idea de a qué se puede referir».
— Alerta Mundial (@AlertaMundoNews) March 4, 2026
España mantiene su posición de «no a… pic.twitter.com/jy68TwbM2o
The contradiction underscores deepening tensions between Washington and Madrid, particularly as Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has emerged as one of Europe's most outspoken critics of Trump's approach to the conflict involving Iran, CNN reported.
Sanchez has refused to involve Spain in the war even after Trump's threat of trade reprisals.
"We're not going to be complicit in something that's bad for the world, nor contrary to our values and interests simply to avoid reprisals from someone," Sanchez said in a televised address on Wednesday, according to Reuters.
White House insists coordination continues
The White House has maintained that coordination is ongoing and has indicated that broader European cooperation is expected amid escalating tensions with Iran.
Earlier in the same press conference, the White House press secretary said that the "rogue Iranian terrorist" regime is being "absolutely crushed" under Operation Epic Fury, as President Donald Trump has set clear objectives to raze Tehran's missile industry and annihilate its navy.
She said, "At the beginning of Operation Epic Fury, President Trump laid out clear objectives to the American people on what the US military seeks to accomplish through these major combat operations, which were to destroy the regime's deadly ballistic missiles and completely raze their missile industry to the ground and annihilate the Iranian regime's navy."
Iranian naval assets targeted
The White House press secretary said that the US destroyed more than 20 Iranian ships so far, including their top submarine, on Tuesday night.
"So far, we have destroyed more than 20 Iranian ships, including their top submarine last night, using a torpedo for the first time since World War II. There is not a single Iranian ship underway in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, or the Gulf of Oman. Operation Epic Fury will ensure the regime's terrorist proxies in the region can no longer destabilise the region or the free world and attack our armed forces."
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‘Doing Very Well’: US President Donald Trump Rates War Efforts Against Iran ‘15 Out Of 10’ | VIDEOConflict enters sixth day
The conflict in the Middle East has entered its sixth day following the February 28 US and Israeli strikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, along with other key figures.
In retaliation, Tehran has responded with counter-strikes targeting American military bases in Gulf nations and other Israeli assets across the region.
(Disclaimer: Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)