Key facts
- President Donald Trump ordered Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to cut off all trade with Spain.
- Trump described Spain as a 'terrible' partner and a 'wasted cause' within NATO.
- The U.S. president cited Spain's refusal to allow U.S. strikes on Iran from its bases and its defense spending as reasons for the threat.
- President Donald Trump declared an interim accord with Iran to end the conflict 'over'.
President Donald Trump has ordered Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to cut off all trade with Spain, describing the nation as a "terrible partner" and a "wasted cause" within NATO. The U.S. president cited Spain's refusal to allow American strikes on Iran from its bases and its perceived failure to meet NATO's defense spending target of 5% of GDP as reasons for the directive. Spain currently spends 2% of its GDP on defense, ranking seventh among NATO's 32 members, according to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government.
Trump's remarks came as he arrived for a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. He stated he did not speak to Spain and does not want to do any trade business with Spain anymore, reiterating his threat to cut off trade with Spain and calling it a 'wasted cause' during the summit.
Separately, President Trump declared an interim accord with Iran aimed at ending the conflict "over," calling it a "waste of time" to deal with following renewed strikes.