Trump threatens Spain's trade interruption: If necessary, use bases without permission

President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will sever trade relations with Spain.

We're going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don't want to have anything with Spain”, he told reporters Tuesday, while in the Oval Office during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Trump added that he has asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to cut off “all businesses” with the European country and NATO member.

“Spain was terrible”, he said, referring to the NATO countries' response to the US missile attack on Iran.

The American president said that if they wanted to use bases in Spain to attack Iran, no one could stop them. But he added that they do not need them.

“Spain essentially said we couldn't use their bases. They were hostile. Spain has absolutely nothing we need except wonderful people. They have wonderful people, but they have no good guidance. Spain told us that we cannot use their bases. All right, we don't need them. However, if we want to, we can land there and use them. No one will tell us we cannot use”, Trump said.

Spain has denied giving the US access to its air bases for “whatever is not covered by the agreement or is not in line with the UN Charter”, according to the Spanish state broadcaster RTVE.

At least 15 American planes have left the Rotta and Moron military bases in southern Spain since the launch of US and Israeli attacks on Iran over the weekend, according to data and maps from the website for tracking out FlightRadar24 flights.

Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Spain would not allow its military bases to be used for attacks on Iran.

The bases are jointly managed by the US and Spain, but are under Spanish sovereignty.