In a sharply worded statement following talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States would sever trade and diplomatic ties with Spain over what he described as Madrid’s refusal to grant U.S. forces access to two military bases in southern Spain for a prospective operation against Iran.
Trump told reporters that he had directed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to halt all commercial dealings with Spain, and that Washington would “stop all trade” with the NATO ally, accusing it of being “unfriendly.” The former commander‑in‑chief also criticized Spain for declining to support a NATO initiative calling on member states to commit 5 % of GDP to defense spending — a move he said had garnered support from other allies, including Germany.
“We don’t want any connection with Spain,” Trump said, asserting that U.S. forces could use the bases at Rota and Morón without Spanish consent if necessary — though he claimed doing so was unnecessary.
The comments followed a weekly cabinet briefing in Madrid, where Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares dismissed the likelihood of any retaliatory measures, noting that the Rota and Morón facilities remain under Spanish sovereignty and can only be used by the U.S. within the framework of existing bilateral agreements.
“There’s nothing unusual or unexpected about this, and we don’t expect any effects or outcomes,” Albares said, adding that no request had been made by U.S. officials to use the bases in any planned operation.
The diplomatic spat underscores growing tensions within the NATO alliance over defense commitments and burden‑sharing, as well as broader disagreements over foreign policy toward Iran.
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