WASHINGTON (AFP) — US President Donald Trump threatened Tuesday to sever all trade with Spain after it refused to let US planes use its bases to attack Iran, while also lashing out at Britain for not cooperating more.

Spain’s left-wing government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, one of Europe’s most defiant leaders against Trump, has said that bases long used by US forces could only be allowed for activities consistent with the United Nations Charter.

“Spain has been terrible,” Trump told reporters as he met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House.

He also pointed to Sanchez’s refusal to join NATO allies in a pledge to boost defense spending to five percent of GDP, a level pushed by Trump, who says the United States bears too much of a burden.

“So we’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain,” Trump said, adding that he had asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to “cut off all dealings with Spain.”

It remains unclear what power Trump would have to “end” trade with Spain, after the Supreme Court struck down his use of emergency powers to impose arbitrary tariffs.

Musing on the legalities, the 79-year-old property tycoon turned president said, “I could tomorrow stop — or today, even better — stop everything having to do with Spain, all business.”

“I have the right to… do anything I want with it,” he said.

The Spanish government quickly........

© The Times of Israel