Washington/Madrid/Brussels.- U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out at Spain this Tuesday for its stance on the Iran war and threatened to impose an embargo and end all bilateral trade relations, as he assured that his country "doesn't need anything" from Spain, a country he called a "terrible" ally.
The refusal of Pedro Sánchez's government to authorize the use of the military bases of Rota (Cádiz) and Morón de la Frontera (Seville) for attacks on Iran has not pleased the Republican leader, who during a meeting at the White House with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said that he wants to have "nothing to do with Spain".
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For its part, the Spanish Executive responded to Trump that it fulfills its commitments to NATO and to European defense, and warned him that, if he wants to review the bilateral relationship, he must respect international law and the agreements between the EU and the United States.
In the same vein, the Community spokesperson for Trade, Olof Gill, when asked about Trump's words regarding Spain, said that the European Commission (EC) trusts that the United States will respect its trade commitments and that it will ensure that "the interests of the European Union" are fully protected.
Threat of a possible embargo
Sitting next to Merz in the Oval Office, in his first statements to the press since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury against Iran, Trump lamented that Madrid has not been "friendly" with the United States.
"I could stop everything related to Spain, all businesses related to Spain; I have the right to stop it. Embargoes. I do what I want with them, and we could do it with Spain. We are going to cut off all trade," he assured.
Following this, Trump asked his Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, who was present in the Oval Office, about the possibility of imposing an embargo on Spain, and he said that the U.S. Supreme Court "has reaffirmed the president's ability" to implement this type of measure.
After the first attacks on Tehran, the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, rejected the joint military action of the United States and Israel in Iran, considering that it "contributes to a more uncertain and hostile international order".
For Trump, on the other hand, Spain has absolutely nothing that the U.S. needs: "They have great people, but they lack great leadership," he asserted.
Spain demands compliance with the law
Sources from the Spanish Executive reacted to the Republican's threats and emphasized that if the American administration wants to review the relationship between the United States and Spain, it must do so respecting the autonomy of private companies, international legality, and bilateral agreements between the European Union and the United States.
Pedro Sánchez's government also defended that Spain fulfills its commitments to NATO and to European defense.
For his part, the leader of the Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, affirmed that Spain is "a reliable country, committed to freedom and the values of the West" and is "much more than its bad government".
The controversy over the bases of Rota and Morón
These words from Trump come after the Government refused to allow his bases, which he owns, although used by the U.S., to be used for operations that are not within the United Nations Charter.
"And now Spain has even said we couldn't use their bases and so on. We could use their bases if we wanted to. We could just fly in and use them. Nobody is going to tell us not to use them," the Republican stated.
Defense Minister Margarita Robles recalled on Monday that the agreement signed with Washington for the use of the bases allows operating within the framework of international legality, but not when an army acts unilaterally.
For his part, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, has pointed out in this regard that Spain "has the last word" on this issue: "We are not going to lend our bases for anything that is not in the treaty nor has a place in the UN Charter."
Before Trump's statements, the Government had said that it saw it as unlikely that his position would entail any "consequence".
Spain, a "terrible partner"
Diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and Spain have also increased because this country is the "only" NATO partner that has not committed to increasing its defense spending to 5% of its GDP, something that Trump has criticized again during the meeting.
"Some of the European nations have been very helpful, and others not at all," Trump said today, adding that "some European countries, like Spain, have been terrible."
For his part, Merz said in this regard that he is trying to "convince" the Spanish Executive to commit to greater spending in this area since in his opinion "this is part of the common security" of NATO members and "everyone must comply with those figures".
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