Trump Threatens Total Trade Cut With Spain

President Donald Trump of the United States has threatened to completely sever all trade and business links with Spain after the NATO ally refused to let American forces use its two key military bases in southern Spain for operations against Iran.

The dramatic warning came during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House on Tuesday, where Trump openly called Spain “terrible” and “unfriendly.”

He revealed that he had already instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to stop every single business dealing with the European country.

“We’re going to stop all trade with Spain. We don’t want any connection with Spain,” Trump declared to reporters. “Spain has been terrible… And now Spain said we can’t use their bases, and that’s okay. We could use their bases; if we wanted, we could just fly in and use them. No one is going to stop us from using it. But we don’t have to. But they were unfriendly.”

The outburst followed Spain’s firm refusal to allow the use of the strategic Rota Naval Station and Morón Air Base for the ongoing US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, which is now in its fourth day.

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares told reporters after Tuesday’s cabinet meeting that the bases remain under full Spanish sovereignty even though they are jointly operated with the United States under a bilateral treaty.

He stressed that Washington never made any formal request to use the facilities for the Iran strikes.

“So, there’s nothing unusual or unexpected about this, and we don’t expect any effects or outcomes,” Albares said, adding that the bases cannot be used for actions outside the framework of the treaty or the United Nations Charter.

Several US aircraft, including refuelling tankers, have already been relocated from the two bases following Madrid’s position.

Trump also used the occasion to renew his attack on Spain’s defence budget. He accused the country of being the only NATO member that refused to back plans for allies to spend 5 per cent of their GDP on defence, while Germany and others showed enthusiasm.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has strongly condemned the US and Israeli strikes as “unjustified and dangerous,” aligning with his government’s position that such operations must respect international law.

Spanish officials have brushed off the trade threat, insisting any measures must comply with EU agreements and that Spain has the resources to weather any storm.

Bilateral trade between the US and Spain exceeds $45 billion yearly, with America enjoying a healthy surplus.

For Nigeria and other oil-producing nations, the continued Middle East crisis and any escalation in trans-Atlantic tensions could trigger fresh volatility in global crude prices, directly affecting foreign earnings and pump prices at home.