President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the United States would cut off all trade with Spain after the European country refused to allow the U.S. military to use its bases for missions related to potential strikes on Iran.
Trade Suspension
“Spain has been terrible,” Trump told reporters during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, adding that he had directed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to “cut off all dealings” with Spain.
“We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain,” he stated.
The announcement followed the relocation of 15 U.S. aircraft, including refueling tankers, from military bases in Rota and Moron in southern Spain. This move came after Spain’s Socialist leadership indicated it would not permit the bases to be used in any offensive action against Iran.
Spanish Rationale
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares explained that Spain would not authorize the use of its military bases because the proposed offensive lacked approval under Spain’s agreement with the United States and did not align with the United Nations Charter.
Relations between Spain and the United States have been strained recently due to disagreements over migration policies and Spain’s reluctance to increase defense spending to 5% of its GDP, a commitment made by most other European nations.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has previously blocked vessels carrying weapons to Israel from docking in Spain and recently announced plans to prosecute social media platform owners for harmful content.
Sanchez also authored an opinion piece in the New York Times criticizing “MAGA-style leaders” for what he described as misleading the public regarding migration issues.
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