Trump threatens to cut off all trade with Spain after base refusal tied to Iran strikes
“We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain,” Trump said
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Tuesday to impose a total trade embargo on Spain after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government refused to allow the use of the Rota and Morón bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran.
“Spain has been terrible,” Trump told reporters during a White House meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, adding: “We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain.”
The United States relocated 15 aircraft — including refueling tankers — from Rota and Morón after Spain’s decision not to authorize their use for attacks on Iran. Trump again tied the dispute to his push for higher NATO defense spending and argued Washington has room to halt dealings with Spain, pointing to potential legal tools and input from his economic team.
Madrid said any review of the trade framework must respect the autonomy of private companies, international law, and existing agreements between the United States and the European Union, according to statements cited by Reuters and AP. In Brussels, European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said “the Commission will always ensure that the interests of the European Union are fully protected.”
Trade-law scholars said that while the president could try to rely on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the bar for declaring a national emergency over an “unusual and extraordinary” threat from Spain would be hard to meet.
Separately, Spain began repatriations from the Middle East as the regional crisis disrupted travel. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said more than 175 Spaniards were due to arrive Tuesday evening on a flight from Abu Dhabi, with further operations expected via Istanbul.
On the military front, Israel’s U.N. envoy Danny Danon told reporters in New York that the United States and Israel now control “almost all” of Iran’s airspace, and said that advantage would become more visible “in the next few days.” On casualties, a toll of 787 people killed in Iran since the start of the attacks was reported, attributing the figure to Iran’s Red Crescent.
