Trump says US will cut all trade with Spain
The dispute comes amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, where the US and Israel have carried out strikes on Iran. Spain, however, has taken a firm stance against such operations.
President Donald Trump has announced that the United States plans to cut all trade with Spain following Madrid's refusal to allow US forces to use its bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran.
"Spain has been terrible," Trump told reporters during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. He said he had instructed US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to "cut off all dealings" with Spain, Al Jazeera reports.
"We're going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don't want anything to do with Spain," the president added. Trump also criticized the United Kingdom for making similar decisions regarding military cooperation.
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The dispute comes amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, where the US and Israel have carried out strikes on Iran. Spain, however, has taken a firm stance against such operations.
Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told Spanish public television on Monday that, based on available information, US forces are neither using nor will use Spanish military bases for operations against Iran.
Albares emphasized that the Spanish government will not authorize the use of the Rota naval base or the Moron airbase beyond existing agreements or in ways inconsistent with United Nations mandates.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez condemned the recent US and Israeli strikes on Iran, describing them as an "unjustified" and "dangerous military intervention" outside the bounds of international law.
