Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.

President Trump has threatened to cut off all trade with Spain after the country refused to allow the United States to use its military bases for operations related to strikes on Iran.

Getting into it: While speaking alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump criticized Spain after its government denied US forces permission to use key bases. He said, “We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain.” He also floated the possibility of harsher measures, adding: “I could tomorrow stop or today, even better, stop everything having to do with Spain… Embargoes. Do anything I want with it, and we may do that with Spain.” Trump also criticized Spain’s leadership, saying the country has “absolutely nothing that we need, other than great people.”

The bases in question the naval facility at Naval Station Rota and the nearby air base at Morón Air Base are jointly used by the United States and Spain but remain under Spanish sovereignty. According to Spanish officials, the bases cannot be used for operations that fall outside the bilateral defense agreement or violate international law.

Spain’s refusal forced multiple US aircraft involved in the broader Middle East military buildup to depart the bases. Flight tracking data showed at least 15 American aircraft, including refueling tankers, leaving Rota and Morón and relocating largely to Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

These bases in Spain are strategically valuable for US operations because they sit at the gateway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, allowing US forces to rapidly stage aircraft and supplies for missions heading toward the Middle East. Their distance from Iran also places them well outside the range of most Iranian missiles, making them a relatively secure logistical hub during regional military operations.

As of now, officials in Spain have not reacted to Trump’s trade threat.