Trump threatens to cut off trade ties after Spain blocks use of bases for Iran strikes

Moron Air Base in Spain is one of the key installations that has regularly been used by the U.S. Air Force. (Nicole Keim/U.S. Air Force)

President Donald Trump on Tuesday blasted Spain’s decision to block U.S military access to its bases for operations in Iran, saying that the U.S. would cut off all trade ties in retaliation.

Trump, speaking from the White House, also suggested the U.S. could use military facilities in Spain regardless of the decision if needed.

“Spain has been terrible. ... And that’s all right. We could use their base if we want. We could just fly in and use it. Nobody’s going to tell us not to use it,” Trump said.

Trump’s comments came one day after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced he wouldn’t allow the U.S. to make use of bases in the country, where the American military has long maintained a presence. Moron Air Base is one of the key installations that has regularly been used by the U.S. Air Force. Earlier this week, U.S. aircraft repositioned from that location to Ramstein Air Base. The U.S. Navy also operates out of Rota, Spain.

Trump also took issue with Spain over its lackluster defense spending, saying it was the only NATO member that refused to agree to his demand that all allies boost military investments to 5% of gross domestic product.

Meanwhile, Trump singled out the United Kingdom, which has put certain restrictions on U.S. military operations from its bases related to Iran.

“I’m not happy with the U.K. either…. This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with,” Trump said Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Starmer on Sunday said bases in the U.K. could only be used for “specific and limited defensive purpose,” such as destroying Iranian storage depots and launchers used to fire missiles.

Trump’s comments came during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who signaled support for Trump’s campaign in Iran.

“We are on the same page in terms of getting this terrible regime in Tehran away,” Merz said during the meeting.

In Europe, reactions have been mixed to Trump’s Iran mission.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he supported the operation even as the alliance stays out of it.

“It’s really important what the U.S. is doing here, together with Israel, because it is taking out, degrading the capacity of Iran to get its hands on nuclear capability, the ballistic missile capability,” Rutte told Germany’s ARD television Sunday.

But Rutte said NATO would not get involved as an alliance, adding individual allies could do “what they can to enable what the Americans are doing together with Israel.”