Trump lashes out at Pedro Sánchez's government over Iran: "We will cut off all trade with Spain"

Washington / Brussels / MadridDonald Trump has lashed out at the Spanish government for having denied military aid in its war against Iran And he has assured that the United States will cut off "all trade with Spain." "We don't want to have anything to do with Spain," the US president stressed during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House. The meeting had been scheduled before the conflict erupted, and although one of Merz's main objectives was to discuss Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East took precedence. In this context, when the topic of European assistance in the military campaign arose, Trump said that Spain had been "terrible." Madrid's position differs from that of Germany, the United Kingdom, and France, which have aligned themselves directly with the Americans in favor of the attacks against Tehran.

The president recalled the opposition of Pedro Sánchez's government to increasing defense spending to 5% of GDP as a NATO member and criticized the Madrid's refusal to allow US forces to use the Rota and Morón de la Frontera bases as a starting point. "Now Spain has said we can't use their bases. We could use them if we wanted. We could simply fly there and nobody would tell us not to," he told reporters. "5%," he added.

Trump's statements caught the Spanish government during the Senate question time session. Upon leaving, none of the ministers wanted to stop and speak to the media—"it's a serious and delicate matter," executive sources indicated amidst the hustle and bustle of microphones—and it was the Moncloa Palace that spearheaded the response to Trump. "Our country has the necessary resources to contain any potential impacts," the sources stated, also reminding the United States that if they want to "review" the trade relationship, "they will have to do so respecting the autonomy of private companies and bilateral agreements with the European Union." Sánchez has positioned himself as the antithesis of Trump: from his opposition to increasing military spending to his firm stance against the United States' claims regarding Greenland. And indeed... the Moncloa strategy This involves establishing the Spanish president as a leader beyond Spain's borders with two objectives: in foreign policy, to be a benchmark against the "global far right," and in domestic policy, to mobilize the left-wing electorate against the PP and Vox in the upcoming elections. For this reason, Sánchez does not want to tiptoe around Trump's threat and will make an institutional statement this Wednesday at nine in the morning to assess the latest political events. Far from backing down, the Spanish government is holding firm with the US administration. "Spain does not accept blackmail or lectures from an aggressor country. We are a country of peace," added Second Vice President Yolanda Díaz, of the Sumar party.

The opposition in Spain has erupted against the Spanish government. "If Iran thanks you and the United States considers you a terrible ally, you have failed," PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo told X. "Sánchez's decisions, who is a traitor and a wretch, harm the Spanish people," added Vox leader Santiago Abascal, while the Spanish employers' association is demanding that the Moncloa Palace "correct" the situation and "work hand in hand" with the EU.

Germany closes ranks with Trump

Trump has attacked one EU partner in front of another member: Germany. Chancellor Merz, however, said nothing in defense of Spain when the US president attacked the country, even going so far as to raise the idea of ​​a possible "embargo." Moreover, he even bowed down and agreed with the tycoon when journalists asked him what he thought about the idea of ​​punishing Spain for its low NATO contribution. "It's very simple: we must convince Spain to catch up with the 3% or 3.5% they agreed to within NATO," replied the German chancellor, who didn't even criticize the other attacks Trump has leveled against the European Union. While Merz was pandering to Trump and staging a rift within the bloc, Brussels came to the defense of the Spanish government. Specifically, the European Commission issued a statement saying that it "will always ensure the full protection of the interests of the European Union." Furthermore, he has again urged the White House to "comply" with the trade agreement signed by the EU and the United States last summer. This pact is already favorable to Washington's interests: it entails a 15% increase in European imports to the United States, while tariffs on European exports to the bloc remain unchanged. However, Brussels is increasingly skeptical of Trump's threats, referring to the statement it issued last month when the White House threatened further tariff increases. EU sources warn that they will not comment further until they are certain the Republican's threats are serious.

This is not the first time Trump has attacked Sánchez's government. In October of last year, the president said that Spain deserved to be "punished" for refusing to contribute 5% to defense spending and even suggested its expulsion from NATO. At that time, the president's threat also seemed implausible because he had already signed a framework trade agreement for the entire European Union. The White House faces a very difficult task in attacking only one of its European partners: trade matters fall under the purview of the European Union, which negotiates and acts as a single entity. Therefore, if the United States wants to attack Spain, in practice it will have to restrict trade relations to the European Union as a whole.

The example of Brazil

Sánchez has been questioning Trump's policies for some time. A month ago, the Spanish president published an article in New York Times Defending the regularization of half a million migrants in Spain, he contrasted it with the policy of terror deployed by his American counterpart. "Some leaders have chosen to persecute and deport them through operations that are both illegal and cruel. My government has chosen another path," Sánchez wrote at the time, prompting Elon Musk and other far-right figures to vehemently criticize him. However, Trump did not.

Last year, the Brazilian government's confrontation with Washington proved beneficial for Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Trump punished Brazil with tariffs for the conviction of former president Jair Bolsonaro for his attempted coup. Lula's standing up to his American counterpart at that time helped him gain popularity. However, it remains to be seen whether the same will happen now with Pedro Sánchez.