President Donald Trump announced today that the United States will sever all trade ties with Spain. The decision comes in response to Spain's refusal to allow U.S. forces to utilize its military bases for operations against Iran in the ongoing 2026 US-Israel-Iran conflict.The announcement was made during an Oval Office meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, where Trump lambasted Spain as "terrible" and instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to immediately "cut off all dealings" with the country.
Trump also cited Spain's lagging NATO defense spending as a contributing factor, emphasizing, "We're going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don't want anything to do with Spain."
In contrast, he praised Germany's full support in the conflict, highlighting deepening rifts among Western allies.
Spain's leftist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has defended the decision, stating that U.S. strikes on Iran are not authorized under bilateral agreements or the UN Charter. "We insist on maintaining full sovereignty over our facilities and call for immediate de-escalation," a Spanish government statement read.
