The US president slammed Spain for denying access to its military bases for his bombing campaign
3-MIN READ3-MINBloombergPublished: 4:25am, 4 Mar 2026Donald Trump said he would “cut off all trade with Spain” after the country denied access to its military bases for his bombing campaign against Iran, spurring a sharp rebuke from Madrid that the US president must respect international trade agreements.
“I told Scott to cut off all dealings with Spain,” Trump said on Tuesday during a meeting at the White House, referring to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Trump did not explain how he planned to follow through with that threat, which could prove particularly difficult since the US has a trading relationship with the broader European Union. Later, he suggested he had the power to impose a full embargo on goods from the country, though he did not indicate explicitly that he planned to do so.
If the Trump administration wishes to review its trade relationship with Spain it must do so while respecting the autonomy of private companies, international law, and the bilateral agreements between the EU and the US, a Spanish government official said in response to Trump’s comment.
Spain has the necessary resources to contain potential impacts and to support sectors that may be affected by a trade ban, the official said.
Rallies held in major cities to celebrate news of the death of Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Rallies held in major cities to celebrate news of the death of Iran’s Ayatollah Ali KhameneiSpanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is due to make a statement Wednesday at 9am Madrid time.
