Spain

Madrid, September 23, 2026. Before the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, Donald Trump stated that he had to choose between an agreement with Iran or "annihilate" the Islamic Republic, adding that he believed an agreement would come "just after the elections". For the Spanish press, the phrase is not just a threat: it's an electoral exercise, uttered six weeks before the midterms, in a shorter speech than last year's, thirty minutes versus fifty-seven, according to El País. The head of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, who was present at the opening of the general debate, responded directly. Asked on The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart, he judged Trump's speech as "very ideological, not backed by facts and data", particularly on climate and the war in Iran, estimating that these theses are not "widely supported by many countries in the world".

This verbal distance is accompanied by a protocol gesture: Sánchez declined, due to scheduling reasons according to his entourage, the invitation to the reception offered by Trump to the heads of delegation, as in 2024 and 2025. El Confidencial and Expansión see this as a symptom of a long-standing tense relationship: repeated tariff threats against Spain for its refusal to increase its military spending, disputed use of Spanish bases for strikes against Iran, and Trump's accusation against the "weakness" of the Madrid government after the arrival of Moroccan migrants in Ceuta.

Regarding Iran itself, the Spanish press notes the contrast between the rhetoric of the speech, with Trump invoking the union of the UN to "annihilate" Tehran, and the announcement, minutes later, of a "very good" meeting with Iranian representatives, led by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. ElDiario.es emphasizes that this is not the first time Trump has brandished such a threat: in the spring, a message on Truth Social mentioning "erasing a civilization" had sparked a wave of condemnations, while Tuesday's statement was mostly read as a demonstration of diplomatic strength to which the rest of the world has become accustomed. El País finally notes that the war in Iran, which was supposed to be brief, has now been going on for seven months, while Houthi rebels threaten to expand the regional conflict.