US President Donald Trump warned of a complete trade cutoff after Spain refused US military access for strikes on Iran, intensifying tensions over NATO defence spending and military cooperation.
US President Donald Trump threatened to impose a full trade embargo on Spain on 3 March 2026. This escalation follows Spain’s refusal to allow the US military to use shared bases for strikes on Iran.
At a White House briefing, Trump described Spain as “terrible” and indicated, “we’re going to cut off all trade.” He added, “We don’t want anything to do with Spain,” when speaking to reporters.
Trump’s statements heighten ongoing tensions between the two countries, particularly regarding the Spanish government’s resistance to Trump’s demand that NATO allies raise their defence spending.
Trump also voiced frustration with the Spanish government for declining to raise its defence spending to 5% of its gross domestic product, unlike several other European countries that have complied.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, one of the relatively few left‑leaning leaders in Europe at present, described the US and Israel’s strikes on Iran as an “unjustified, dangerous military intervention” that falls outside the scope of international law.
