Trump threatens trade ties as Spain denies US Iran war bases

Donald Trump has threatened to sever trade relations with Spain after the Spanish government refused to allow the use of its military bases for the conflict with Iran. Speaking at the White House alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the US president labelled Spain “a horror show” and “terrible”. Trump accused the country of expecting a “free ride” and concluded that Spain is “not a good group”.

The immediate dispute centres on Washington’s request to use the Rota and Morón air bases in Andalusia for military operations against Iran. Spain rejected the authorisation, a move Rutte downplayed to journalists as an “isolated incident” within the broader European context. The NATO chief emphasised that other member states had stepped up, noting that “between 4,000 and 5,000 US aircraft took off from European air bases”.

Trump’s frustration was not exclusively directed at Madrid. He also criticised Italy, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom for denying logistical support at certain points during the offensive. “We were let down. We didn't need help on this at all. We demolished (Iran) literally in the first week but it would have been nice if they would have said, 'We'd like to help,'" Trump said. Despite this broad criticism, Spain remained the primary focus of his wrath.

For European investors and businesses, the escalating rhetoric carries tangible commercial risks. Trump has explicitly linked his diplomatic anger to economic retaliation, warning he could cut trade ties with Madrid entirely. This threat compounds existing friction over Spain’s refusal to meet US demands to raise defence spending to 5 percent of its gross domestic product. Hitting that target would demand a profound and expensive restructuring of Spain’s public finances.

The clash underscores a deepening ideological divide between the two administrations. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has positioned himself as a leading progressive voice in Europe, actively opposing Trump on foreign policy matters ranging from Palestine to Iran. While Trump has previously praised the Spanish populace as “fantastic”, he has repeatedly attacked Sánchez’s “terrible leadership”, previously calling Spain “not a team player”, “a loser”, “absolutely horrible”, “an absolute disaster”, and “shameful”.