A sharp diplomatic and economic confrontation has erupted between the United States and Spain after US President Donald Trump threatened to halt trade with Madrid over its refusal to allow American forces to use Spanish bases for operations against Iran.
Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, Trump lashed out at Spain’s position, calling the country “terrible” and warning: “We’re going to cut off all trade. We don’t want anything to do with Spain.” He added, “I could tomorrow — or today, even better — stop everything having to do with Spain, all business having to do with Spain.”
The remarks followed Spain’s decision to bar the United States from using the jointly operated Rota and Morón military bases in southern Spain as part of its campaign connected to escalating hostilities involving Iran.
While the facilities are shared, they remain under Spanish command.
Trump insisted, “We could use their base if we want… We could just fly in and use it. Nobody’s going to tell us not to use it, but we don’t have to.”
Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent argued that the president has the authority to impose sweeping economic measures on national security grounds.
“You have the strong power that the Supreme Court clarified — we know you can use it,” US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told the president, though he stopped short of confirming any immediate action. The White House has not detailed how such a trade cutoff could be implemented.
The dispute also reflects broader tensions between Washington and Madrid, including Spain’s resistance to Trump’s demand that NATO allies raise defense spending to 5% of GDP.
Trump has previously suggested Spain should face economic consequences for failing to meet that threshold.
Operation Epic Fury involves the largest regional concentration of American military firepower in a generation. pic.twitter.com/YB8HRsBS3n
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 2, 2026
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez responded defiantly, reiterating his government’s opposition to U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran, which he described as an “unjustified” and “dangerous military intervention” in violation of international law.
In a televised address on Wednesday, Sánchez warned the conflict risked “playing Russian roulette” with millions of lives.
“We are not going to be complicit in something that is bad for the world and is also contrary to our values and interests, just out of fear of reprisals from someone,” Sánchez said.
Summarizing his government’s position, he declared: “In short, the position of the government of Spain can be summarized in four words — no to the war.”
Widening Middle East War Disrupts Trade and Travel, Rattles Global Markets
Madrid has argued that allowing US forces to use its bases for offensive operations would contravene the United Nations Charter. Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said there had been no direct contact with Washington since Trump’s comments.
The legal pathway for a US trade embargo on Spain remains uncertain. Spain is a member of the European Union, which negotiates trade policy collectively for its 27 member states. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, after meeting Trump, underscored that Spain is part of the EU and that any trade arrangement with the bloc necessarily includes Madrid.
The European Commission signaled solidarity with Spain. Spokesperson Olof Gill said the EU “stands in full solidarity with all member states” and is “ready to act if necessary to safeguard EU interests” through its common trade policy.
The world, Europe, and Spain have faced this critical moment before. In 2003, a few irresponsible leaders dragged us into an illegal war in the Middle East that brought nothing but insecurity and pain.
Our response then must be our response now:
NO to violations of…
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) March 4, 2026
Economic stakes on both sides of the Atlantic are significant. According to US Census Bureau data, US exports to Spain reached roughly $26 billion in 2025, while imports from Spain totaled about $21 billion. Spain’s key exports to the United States include pharmaceutical products and olive oil.
Trump also criticized the United Kingdom as being “very uncooperative” regarding the use of military bases but stopped short of threatening trade measures against London.
The confrontation marks the latest instance of Trump wielding trade pressure as a geopolitical tool over differences with Western allies.
While the US Supreme Court recently struck down parts of his sweeping global tariff program, ruling that emergency powers do not grant unlimited authority to impose broad tariffs, Trump maintains he retains the power to enact full-scale embargoes to protect national and economic security.
Meanwhile, tensions over Iran ripple through diplomatic and economic channels beyond the Middle Eastern theater of war. The transatlantic dispute highlights how military conflict in the Middle East may reshape alliances and testing the resilience of global trade relationships with the future of energy supplies at stake for all sides.
Ali Imran is a Washington-based journalist, who has worked for leading world news organizations as correspondent, expert and in editorial positions. He is a published author and poet.
