The US and Israeli strikes on Iran violate international law and trade should not be turned into a weapon, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said.
The diplomat made the statement in response to reports that US President Donald Trump has threatened to completely cut off trade ties with Spain over Madrid's refusal to provide its air bases for strikes against the Islamic Republic. According to her, trade “should not be turned into a tool of pressure or a weapon“.
As Trump said earlier, the US intends to cut off all trade relations with Spain after its refusal to increase military spending to 5% of GDP. He also indicated that the US military would use bases in Spain in the operation against Iran, despite Madrid's disapproval.
The US prime minister's statements followed Spain's opposition to the US and Israeli military operation in Iran. Madrid also opposed the use of bases located in the kingdom for these purposes.