️ Spain has stated that the US must adhere to international law and bilateral trade agreements with the European Union, following US President Donald Trump's threat to cut off all trade with the country for refusing to allow US military use of its bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran.
️ "We have the necessary resources to contain the possible impact of a trade embargo by the US," the Spanish government said in a statement on Tuesday.
️ After the US and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez condemned the attacks as a breach of international law. He called for dialogue to end the war on Iran, stating that "one can oppose a hateful regime and, at the same time, oppose an unjustified and dangerous military intervention."
️ On Monday, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs Jose Manuel Albares said Madrid would not permit the country's military bases, which are jointly operated by the US and Spain but under Spanish sovereignty, to be used for attacks on Iran.
️ Subsequently, the US relocated 15 aircraft, including refuelling tankers, from the Rota and Moron military bases in southern Spain.
️ On Tuesday, before a meeting with German Chancellor Frederich Merz, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office in Washington, DC, that "Spain has been terrible" for not allowing the US to use its bases.
️ He said he had instructed his Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, to "cut off all dealings" with Spain.
️ This is not the first time Spain has angered Trump. In 2024, Sanchez, one of a dwindling number of left-leaning voices in Europe, refused to let vessels transporting weapons to Israel dock in Spain.
️ Spain has also refused to heed US calls for all NATO members to spend 5 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defence by 2035.
️ Spain is the world's top exporter of olive oil and also sells auto parts, steel, and chemicals to the US. However, it is less vulnerable to Trump's threats of economic punishment than other European nations.
️ The US had a trade surplus with Spain for the fourth consecutive year in 2025, at $4.8bn, according to data from the US Census Bureau, with US exports of $26.1bn and imports of $21.3bn.
Source: www.aljazeera.com