Amid the escalation of war in the Middle East following attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran, a diplomatic crisis has emerged between Washington and Spain. This Tuesday (3), President Donald Trump threatened to cut off all trade with Madrid after the Spanish socialist government refused to authorize the use of the Morón and Rota bases, located in the Andalusia region, in the south of Spanish territory, to support the ongoing American military operation against Tehran.
The two installations are considered strategic for US operations in Europe, the Mediterranean and the Middle East, as they function as logistical points for aerial refueling, troop movement and support for military missions in North Africa and the Persian Gulf.
The Spanish government decided this week not to allow the bases to be used in the US offensive against Iran as it considers that the military operation in the Middle East “is not supported by the Charter of the United Nations”. The decision has already started a strong diplomatic crisis between the two countries, which are part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Western alliance.
Trump threatened to apply embargoes against Spain during a meeting this Tuesday, at the White House, with the Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz. At the time, the republican said he “could stop everything related to Spain”.
“I have the right to stop. Embargoes. I do whatever I want with them, and we could do that with Spain. Let’s cut off all trade with Spain,” Trump said.
The Spanish government, in turn, responded by stating that the decision not to allow the US to use the bases is “a sovereign choice”. The Spanish Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, declared that Spain considers that the path to resolving the Iran case should be “negotiation”.
“What we should do is de-escalate, sit down, negotiate and look for a way out,” Puente said in an interview with public broadcaster TVE.
The Rota naval base houses United States Navy ships and serves as one of the main operations centers for the American fleet in the Mediterranean. The Morón air base is regularly used by American air forces as a support point for strategic transport aircraft and tanker aircraft, essential for refueling fighters and bombers in long-range operations.
This Wednesday (4), the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, Scott Bessent, stated in an interview with the broadcaster CNBC that the lack of Spanish cooperation in the so-called ongoing operation against Iran is “unacceptable”. According to him, any logistical obstacle to US military operations could put American soldiers at risk.
“Anything that delays our ability to wage this war quickly and effectively puts American lives at risk,” Bessent said.
Divergences in the Western alliance and impacts on the European Union
This Tuesday, Trump also criticized the fact that Spain is the only NATO country that has not committed to increasing defense spending to 5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Such criticism is not new, as Trump has been pressuring Spain to increase its defense spending since assuming the US presidency last year. During the meeting at the White House, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that he is trying to convince the Spanish socialist government to increase these investments, arguing that military reinforcement is part of the alliance’s collective security.
Despite this, Merz also indicated that possible US trade measures against Spain would face limits within the European framework. The chancellor reminded Trump that trade agreements between the US and European countries are negotiated with the European Union (EU) as a whole.
“Spain is part of the European Union and when we negotiate an agreement on tariffs with the United States, we do it together or we don’t do it at all,” he said.
The European Commission – the executive arm of the EU – reacted this Wednesday to Trump’s trade threats against Spain. As the bloc’s trade spokesman, Olof Gill, stated, Brussels is ready to protect the interests of the European Union if necessary. According to him, the commercial relationship between Europeans and Americans is “deeply integrated and mutually beneficial”, and the Commission “will monitor any measure that may affect Member States”, such as Spain.
Macron comes to the defense of the Spanish
This Wednesday, France expressed support for the Spanish government. Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron contacted Spanish Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to express “European solidarity” in the face of Washington’s threats.
In a statement following Trump’s threat, Sánchez stated that Madrid’s stance on the conflict can be summed up in three words: “no to war”. According to him, Spain will not be “an accomplice in something bad for the world just for fear of reprisals”.
White House says there was an agreement for military cooperation; Spain denies
Earlier, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stated that Spain had agreed to “cooperate” with the United States armed forces in the military operation against Iran. The statement was made during a press conference in Washington.
The information, however, was denied by the Spanish government. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares “categorically” denied that Madrid had reached any military cooperation agreement with Washington.
“I categorically deny it. The position of the Spanish government on the war in the Middle East, the bombings in Iran and the use of our bases has not changed a single iota”, said Albares this afternoon in an interview with a radio station.
According to Albares, there has been no decision by the Spanish socialist government that changes the policy adopted by Madrid since the beginning of the military offensive.
