US President Donald Trump launched a tirade against Madrid last week, saying "Spain has been terrible" and threatening to "cut off all trade," after Spain opposed US and Israeli strikes on Iran from the outset.

David Jimenez Torres, Professor of History at the Complutense University of Madrid, told DW that Spain's firm stance fits Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's past positions on war, and serves domestic political goals at a time when his support base has been losing momentum.