US President Donald Trump on Tuesday criticised Britain and Spain for not fully supporting his military action on Iran, warning that he could end “all trade” with Spain.
Trump expressed displeasure with the UK, saying of Prime Minister Keir Starmer: “This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with.” Britain, a long-standing US ally through both World Wars and the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, opted not to participate in the joint US-Israel assault on Iran launched on Saturday.
Starmer clarified that US fighter jets could use only two UK air bases for “specific and limited defensive purposes”—one in Gloucestershire, England, and the joint UK-US Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean. He also stated that US forces were not authorised to use UK bases in Cyprus, one of which was reportedly struck by an Iranian-made drone.
Trump complained that the logistics required extra flight hours, referencing Diego Garcia, and criticised Starmer for agreeing to return the Chagos Islands, where the base is located, to Mauritius while maintaining a lease for US operations. “The UK has been very, very uncooperative with that stupid island,” Trump said during a White House meeting with Friedrich Merz.
Trump also targeted Spain, where Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has refused US attacks on Iran through Spanish bases long used by American forces. “Spain has been terrible,” Trump said, adding that he had instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to “cut off all dealings with Spain.” He further cited Spain’s refusal to meet NATO defense spending targets, which he argues unfairly burden the US.
The extent of Trump’s authority to halt trade with Spain remains unclear, following a Supreme Court ruling limiting his emergency powers to impose arbitrary tariffs.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares stated that Spain would only permit use of the Naval Base Rota and Moron Air Base in ways consistent with the United Nations Charter, signalling a cautious approach amid ongoing regional tensions.
