President Donald Trump has threatened to end all trade between the United States and Spain after Madrid refused to allow American forces to use its military bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran.
Speaking at the White House during a press conference alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Mr Trump said he had instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to sever economic ties.
“We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain,” the President told reporters. “Spain has been terrible.”
The dispute centres on Spain’s reported refusal to grant the US military access to its NATO bases for operations connected to the escalating conflict with Iran. Mr Trump suggested the disagreement followed wider tensions over defence spending among European allies.
“It started when every European nation, at my request, made 5 per cent, which they should be doing,” he said. “Everybody was enthusiastic, Germany, everybody, but Spain didn’t do it.”
He then claimed Spain revoked American access to its NATO facilities, before adding: “And that’s all right, we can use their bases if we want. We can just fly in and use it. Nobody is going to tell us not to use it. They were unfriendly.”
The remarks mark a significant escalation in rhetoric between Washington and a key European ally at a time of heightened instability in the Middle East.
UK Also Drawn Into Dispute
Mr Trump also used the press conference to criticise Britain following discussions over the use of UK-controlled bases for initial US strikes on Iran.
Referring to the Chagos Islands arrangement, he said: “That island that you read about, the lease, for whatever reason, he made a lease of the island, somebody came and took it away from him.
“And it’s taken three, four days for us to work out where we can land, it would have been much more convenient landing there as opposed to flying many extra hours.
“So we are very surprised. This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with,” he said of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The disagreement centred on access to Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and RAF Fairford for the initial phase of US strikes on Iran. Sir Keir declined permission for those early operations.
However, the US will now be permitted limited access to UK bases for strikes targeting Iranian missile capabilities.
Addressing MPs, the Prime Minister said: “President Trump has expressed his disagreement with our decision not to get involved in the initial strikes, but it is my duty to judge what is in Britain’s national interest.”
Military Posture Shifts
Sir Keir has since confirmed the deployment of a Royal Navy destroyer and anti-drone helicopters to the region. RAF F-35 fighter jets have also shot down Iranian drones over Jordan.
He told Parliament that the situation escalated on Sunday when Iran’s attacks across the Middle East became “a threat to our people, our interests and our allies”.
Growing Strains Within NATO
Mr Trump’s threat to end trade with Spain, combined with his comments about potentially using NATO bases regardless of consent, risks increasing tensions within the alliance.
While it remains unclear whether the proposed trade measures will be implemented, the remarks underscore widening divisions among Western allies as the confrontation with Iran intensifies.
