American President Donald Trump declared on Tuesday that he „will cut off all trade relations with Spain” due to its position on the offensive against Iran.
He stated that „Spain has behaved horribly” and „wants nothing to do” with the country, after the government in Madrid refused to authorize the use of American military bases on Spanish territory in operations against Iran, as reported by Wall Street Journal.
Trump made these comments in the Oval Office of the White House, ahead of a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the first foreign leader to meet with Donald Trump since the beginning of the war in Iran.
Watch LIVE the war in the Middle East
Spain has refused to allow the United States to use jointly operated military bases on its territory to attack Iran, and the government in Madrid has strongly criticized the "unjustified and dangerous military intervention" by the Americans, as reported by The Guardian.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez explicitly condemned the "unilateral military action" by the US and Israel against Iran, warning that it contributes to "a more hostile and uncertain international order."
The criticisms were reinforced by the government's refusal to allow the use of the Rota and Morón bases by the US for ongoing attacks against Iran.
Spain's Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares stated on Monday that while the government desires "democracy, freedom, and fundamental rights for the Iranian people," it will not under any circumstances allow its bases to be used in the ongoing military action.
"I want to be very clear and explicit. The bases are not being used – and will not be used – for anything not provided for in the agreement [with the US], nor for anything not covered by the UN Charter."
Spain announced that it will not authorize the use of its bases at Rota and Morón for military operations against Iran, citing the need to respect international law and the United Nations Charter, thus distancing itself from the positions of Washington and Israel in the military conflict.
As a result of this decision, some American aircraft have been redeployed from Spain to other bases.
Maps from the flight tracking website Flightradar24 show that 15 American aircraft have left the bases at Rota and Morón since the beginning of the attacks launched by the US and Israel over the weekend. At least seven of these planes have landed at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.