Trump threatens to "cut off all trade" with Spain

WASHINGTON-- U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to "cut off all trade with Spain" for Spain's refusal to allow the U.S. military to use its base for attacks on Iran, while saying he is not happy with Britain either.

"We're going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don't want anything to do with Spain," Trump told reporters at the beginning of his talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office.

"By the way I'm not happy with the UK either," Trump said. "This is not Winston Churchill that we're dealing with."

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Parliament on Monday that Britain is not joining the U.S.-Israeli "offensive strikes" on Iran.

Merz is the first foreign leader to meet Trump in person since the U.S. administration launched large-scale airstrikes against Iran on Saturday morning. The two leaders said the Iran operation will be a major topic during their closed-door meeting.

Spanish gov't says having necessary resources to contain possible impact of trade embargo by U.S.

 The Spanish government said on Tuesday that it has the necessary resources to contain the potential impact of a trade embargo after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to cut trade ties with Spain, according to Spanish media reports.

The government said any related measures must respect business autonomy, international law and bilateral agreements between the European Union and the United States.

It noted that Spain is an important member of NATO and a major exporting country within the European Union, maintaining long-term trade relations with 195 countries, including the United States. The government stressed that it will support sectors that may be affected and promote supply chain diversification.

Second Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz described Trump's remarks as "unacceptable," saying Spain would not accept external pressure.