U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to cut all trade with Spain after the Spanish government refused to allow U.S. aircraft to use its military bases for a potential strike against Iran.
Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, rejected the request and also opposed increasing defense spending within the framework of the NATO.
“Spain has behaved terribly,” Trump told reporters during a meeting in Washington with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. “We are going to cut all trade with Spain. We don’t want to have anything to do with Spain,” he added.
Hours earlier, Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said he did not expect “any consequences” from Spain’s decision to deny the United States access to its bases. He emphasized that the facilities are under Spanish sovereignty and reaffirmed Spain’s commitment to Euro-Atlantic security.
Albares pointed to Spain’s participation in international missions in the Baltic states, Lebanon, and Iraq as evidence of its dedication to global security efforts.
The Sánchez administration argues that any offensive action by the United States and Israel against Iran would not align with the United Nations Charter, and therefore rejects the use of Spanish bases for such operations.
Donald Trump, Spain trade threat, Pedro Sánchez, U.S. military bases Spain, Iran strike, NATO defense spending, José Manuel Albares, US-Spain relations
