Trump Threatens to Cut All Trade with Spain Over Iran Base Denial

US President Donald Trump has branded Spain a "terrible partner" and threatened to sever all trade ties after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government refused to allow American bases on Spanish soil for operations against Iran.

Speaking to reporters at the White House during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump declared that "nobody will tell us we can't use the US bases" and asserted his authority to halt all dealings with Spain. He suggested imposing a commercial embargo and confirmed he had directed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to cut every agreement with the country. "We will end all trade with Spain. We want nothing to do with them," Trump emphasised.

The dispute stems from Spain's rejection of US requests to utilise its military facilities amid escalating tensions with Iran. In response, 15 US tanker aircraft have departed from the Andalusian bases of Rota and Morón, with seven redirected to Germany.

During the same event, Merz revealed efforts to persuade Spain to raise defence spending to 3% or 3.5% of GDP, noting it as the only NATO ally yet to commit to such levels. Authorities have provided no further details on the potential trade measures or next steps in the military repositioning.