Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the heavyweights in U.S. Foreign Policy and undoubtedly the legislator who lobbied the most to convince Donald Trump to attack Iran, has once again criticized Spain on Monday, urging the president to close the Rota or Morón bases in response to the Spanish government's decision not to allow their use for war in Iran.
In an interview on Fox News, where he also criticized Saudi Arabia's attitude and encouraged a regime change in Cuba, Graham addressed the Spanish government. "To our allies, I ask, if they cannot join this fight, what fight will they join? To Spain: if they do not allow us to use their bases, well, our air bases in their country, to prevent a homicidal regime from obtaining nuclear weapons that terrorize the world? Tonight, I urge President Trump to move all our bases out of Spain. We have a commitment to Spain under Article 5 of NATO; but, should we have air bases in a country that does not allow us to use those planes to protect the world against a regime with a religious Nazi nature?" he added during an interview.
Later, he insisted, "Our friends in Spain have lost their way. I no longer want to do business with you. I want our air bases—our air bases—to leave Spain and be moved to a country that allows us to use them. To our Arab friends, I say that we are trying to help build a new Middle East. They need to rise to the occasion. I cannot go to South Carolina and say that we are fighting, while you are not willing to publicly fight what you do fight behind the scenes," he concluded, referring to Riyadh's doubts about responding to Iranian missiles and drones.
Today's remarks mark the third jab or reference to Spain, but the most aggressive. Graham, who has held his Senate seat since 2003, coinciding with the Iraq War era, wrote a harsh message on his social media last week. "During my time in the U.S. Air Force in the mid-80s, when I was assigned as a prosecutor in Europe during the height of the Cold War, I was assigned to U.S. air bases in Spain as part of my legal duties. I have great admiration for the Spanish people and they have been great allies in the past. However, the current Spanish government is becoming the model of pathetically weak European leadership, which has lost its way, seemingly reluctant to condemn the terrorist Iranian regime and only has criticisms towards the United States," he wrote condemning Sánchez's decision.
"The Spanish people feel a justified indignation over Putin's invasion of Ukraine, as they should. But when it comes to the suffering Iranian people, Spain seems, at best, indifferent. In times like these, the true nature of allies is revealed. I hope that the current Spanish government is an aberration, not the norm. History will mark Spain's situation as President Trump and others try to overthrow the bloodiest regime since World War II. How sad," he wrote on March 2.
Hours later, sharing a video of Trump threatening Spain with an embargo, he made an unexpected and atypical reference to the San Fermin festival to attack our country: "From now on, I will root for the bulls. Long live the bull!" he wrote in Spanish.
And he did it again shortly after on the same X account, reacting to a message from the Iranian president, Masoud Pezeskhian, congratulating "Spain's responsible conduct in opposing the flagrant violations of human rights and the military aggression of the Zionist-American coalition against countries, including Iran," which, according to him, showed "that there are still ethics and awakened consciences in the West. I congratulate the Spanish officials for their stances." The U.S. senator picked up that message and added: "To our friends in Spain: Receiving recognition from the Iranian regime should be a wake-up call. If not, it is very sad. You have lost your way," he criticized.