Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez this week refused to allow the United States military to use Spanish bases for operations against Iran, prompting President Donald Trump to threaten a total trade cutoff and opening a public rift between Madrid and Washington.
Trump said Tuesday he would “cut off all trade with Spain” in retaliation for the refusal, the Associated Press reported. The confrontation deepened the next day when Spain’s foreign minister publicly contradicted a White House press secretary’s claim that Spain had heard Trump’s message “loud and clear” and was cooperating with the U.S. military.
“We are not going to be complicit in something that is bad for the world and is also contrary to our values and interests, just out of fear of reprisals from someone,” Sánchez said in a speech this week, using the slogan “No to the war.”
The standoff places Sánchez at the center of a broader European reckoning with American foreign policy, as Spain becomes the most prominent NATO ally to openly refuse cooperation with the U.S. military campaign against Iran — while resisting Trump across defense spending, immigration, and technology policy as well.
The dispute over Spanish military bases is likely more a diplomatic question than one of military consequence, the AP reported. The United States maintains bases across Europe and the Middle East, and other European countries have agreed to cooperate with American operations against Iran.
A pattern of confrontation
The Iran standoff is the sharpest flash point yet in an ongoing series of disagreements between Sánchez, 54, who first took power in 2018, and the Trump administration.
On defense spending, Spain was the only NATO member to refuse to commit to increasing military expenditures to 5% of gross domestic product at a NATO meeting last year. Sánchez secured a last-minute exemption committing Spain to spend up to 2.1%, which he called “sufficient and realistic.” Trump responded by floating the idea that Spain should be expelled from the military bloc, though that has so far remained a veiled threat, the AP reported.
On immigration, Spain moved against the trend across much of Europe. The country is in the process of granting work and residency permits to half a million foreigners already living within its borders, according to the AP. Sánchez drew a direct contrast to the Trump administration’s approach in a recent New York Times op-ed: “MAGA-style leaders may say that our country can’t handle taking in so many migrants — that this is a suicidal move, the desperate act of a collapsing country. But don’t let them fool you. Spain is booming.”
On technology, Spain joined countries including Australia and France in moves to restrict social media access for younger teenagers — a direction at odds with the Trump administration’s embrace of major technology companies. Elon Musk, the owner of X, called Sánchez “the true fascist totalitarian” last month after Sánchez announced a plan to prohibit users under 16 from accessing social media accounts, the AP reported.
Gaza and the rules-based order
Sánchez has also been among the most vocal European critics of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. He has consistently criticized civilian casualties from Israel’s operations following Hamas’ attack on Israeli territory in 2023, and traveled through Europe and the Middle East to seek a peace deal.
“This is not self-defense, it’s not even an attack — it’s the extermination of a defenseless people,” Sánchez said during that effort.
More broadly, Sánchez has positioned himself as a defender of what he describes as the rules-based international order, feminism, human rights, authorized immigration, and climate policy — all areas that have been targets of Trump’s political movement and far-right politicians in several European countries.
Historical backdrop
Madrid and Washington have maintained stable, friendly, and mostly low-key relations for decades. The relationship began in the 20th century when the United States started sharing military bases with Spain while the country was still under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, the AP reported.