President Donald Trump escalated tensions with Spain on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, warning that the United States could sever trade ties with the European ally after Madrid refused to support recent military operations against Iran.
Speaking during an Oval Office meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump voiced frustration with Spain’s position on the U.S.–Israeli strikes and its refusal to allow American forces to use jointly operated bases in southern Spain, including the naval base at Rota and the air base at Morón.
“We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain,” Trump told reporters. “We don’t want anything to do with Spain.”
The dispute followed remarks from Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, who said Monday that Spain would not authorize the use of its territory for military strikes without explicit backing from the United Nations. Albares confirmed that the bases were not used during the weekend attacks on Iran and that U.S. aircraft had since been relocated from the facilities.
Trump dismissed Madrid’s position and suggested the United States could use the bases if it chose, though he indicated there were no immediate plans to do so. He also linked the disagreement to broader frustrations within NATO, particularly Spain’s resistance to higher defense spending targets.
Picture this: Donald Trump is trashing Spain while the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sits right there.
You’d think Merz would at least defend his EU ally,but no.
He chooses to cower in silence like a spineless coward…. pic.twitter.com/GgC92m4YFZ— Richard (@ricwe123) March 3, 2026
The president singled out Spain as the only NATO member unwilling to commit to a defense spending goal of 5 percent of gross domestic product, arguing that Madrid sought to maintain lower levels and had struggled even to meet the alliance’s existing 2 percent benchmark.
Chancellor Merz acknowledged ongoing efforts within the alliance to encourage greater burden-sharing but did not directly challenge Trump’s threat to cut trade during the meeting.
Spanish officials quickly pushed back. Representatives of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government emphasized Spain’s adherence to international law and noted that trade relations with the United States are governed largely through the European Union’s collective framework.
A government spokesperson stressed that any reconsideration of trade relations must respect private enterprise rights and the EU’s common trade policy. The European Commission echoed that position, saying the bloc would safeguard its economic interests if the dispute escalated.
Spain has also taken a more cautious position on the widening Middle East conflict. Sánchez has criticized the U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran as unjustified and potentially destabilizing, urging diplomatic engagement and de-escalation instead.
Those views reflect Madrid’s broader foreign policy posture in recent years, which has included criticism of Israeli military actions in Gaza and a greater emphasis on multilateral diplomacy.
Trump’s threat underscores his longstanding approach to foreign policy disputes—using economic leverage to pressure allies as well as adversaries. The remarks also come shortly after a Supreme Court ruling that limited the administration’s authority to impose sweeping unilateral tariffs but, according to administration officials, left room for more targeted trade restrictions or embargoes.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has reportedly supported that interpretation and said federal agencies would begin reviewing potential options.
Analysts caution that implementing a trade cutoff against Spain would be complicated in practice. Because trade negotiations are conducted at the European Union level, isolating a single member state could trigger broader economic and diplomatic repercussions across the bloc.
Spain hasn’t paid its fair share of NATO costs for years.
