The United States has pulled 15 military aircraft from Spanish air bases after being informed the locations would not be used for attacks on Iran.
The bases, which are co-operated by both nations but come under Spanish sovereignty on their soil, are located in the southern regions of Rota and Moron, with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares confirming the Trump administration would not be permitted to use them to further attack Iran.
In response, President Donald Trump has pulled American aircraft from both locations, with at least 7 now landed in Germany, and threatened to stop trade with Spain completely.
Speaking to the press at the White House, he said the U.S. would be “cutting all trade" and also seemed to threaten to challenge the sovereignty of the airbases, stating, “Spain has said we can't use their bases, but if we want, we can fly in and use them”.
"All business having to do with Spain, I have the right to stop it. Embargoes - do anything I want with it - and we may do that with Spain," he continued.
His decision to seemingly cut all economic ties with Spain is being backed by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who told Trump that the "Supreme Court reaffirmed your ability to implement an embargo".
Spanish diplomats have pushed back against Trump this week, with Second Vice President of the Government Yolanda Diaz writing on social media that Spain "does not accept blackmail or lectures from an aggressor country”.
"Spanish bases are not being used for this operation, and they will not be used for anything not included in the agreement with the United States or for anything that is not in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations," Albares also added, when speaking to local broadcaster Telecinco.
Last year, the U.S. had a trade surplus with Spain of US$4.8 billion, according to Census figures, with Spain dealing mostly in the export of olive oil and auto parts.
