Video does not show Trump dismissing Spanish PM over Iran
- Published on March 11, 2026 at 20:57
- 2 min read
- By Cintia NABI CABRAL, AFP France
- Translation and adaptation Gwen Roley, AFP USA
Pedro Sánchez repeatedly criticized US-Israeli strikes on Iran which triggered the ongoing war in the Middle East but this did not prompt President Donald Trump to publicly chastise the Spanish prime minister at a recent meeting as claimed by some social media accounts. The clip users are spreading as evidence of the interaction was actually taken at a G20 gathering in Osaka more than five years ago.
"Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wanted to speak with Trump instead, getting the epic 'sit down,'" claims a March 7, 2026 Facebook post with the footage shared by Newsmax host David J Harris Jr, who has repeatedly spread misinformation fact-checked by AFP.
The clip shows the two leaders apparently at a diplomatic meeting. While the dialogue is inaudible, Trump appears to point to a chair for Sánchez before the Spanish prime minister smiles to himself and takes a seat.
Other posts on Facebook alleged new footage showed the US president "refusing to let Spain dictate terms on U.S. military access," while the video took off with similar claims on Instagram, Threads, TikTok and X. The claim also circulated in French, Spanish and Vietnamese.
The United States launched a war in Iran alongside ally Israel with February 28 strikes on Tehran, triggering an expanding regional conflict.
Some European countries pledged "defensive" military assistance to Cyprus despite remaining wary of direct involvement with US-Israeli strikes, while others, such as Romania. voted to let the United States use air bases to refuel aircraft.
Sánchez, meanwhile, has drawn the ire of the Trump administration for opposing the war and refusing the use of Spanish military bases.
Trump responded by calling Spain a "terrible" ally, threatening to cut off all trade with Madrid. However, the video circulating online does not show an in-person continuation of the disagreement between the two leaders.
Reverse image search reveals the clip is years older than the current war in the Middle East. Multiple Spanish news outlets published the footage on June 28, 2019 with captions reporting it showed the G20 global leaders summit in Osaka, Japan (archived here, here, here and here).
The videos' descriptions discuss Trump telling the Spanish prime minister to "sit down." Some observers at the time interpreted the gesture as a snub but AFP could not find reports of either leader commenting on the exchange.
While still calling the recent start of the war an "extraordinary mistake" and "not in accordance with international law," Sánchez nuanced his position saying "cooperation" should prevail over "confrontation" in relations with the United States.
AFP has debunked numerous other claims related to the war in Iran here.
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