General News
Trump Threatens to Cut Trade With Spain Over Iran Strike Dispute
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to suspend all trade with Spain after Madrid declined to allow American forces to use its military bases for potential strikes on Iran.
The sharp warning marks a new escalation in tensions between Washington and Madrid, as disagreements deepen over military cooperation and defense commitments.
Speaking during a meeting at the White House with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump criticized Spain’s refusal and accused the country of failing to meet its defense obligations under NATO.
“Spain has been terrible,” Trump told reporters. “So we’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain.”
He added that he had instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to begin steps toward suspending economic engagements with Madrid, citing presidential authority to impose trade restrictions, including embargoes.
Spain Defends Its Position
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez defended his government’s stance, stressing that U.S. forces can only operate from Spanish bases in ways that comply with the United Nations Charter and international law.
Madrid has maintained that any military action must align with multilateral agreements and legal frameworks, signaling reluctance to support unilateral strikes.
Strain on Transatlantic Ties
Trump also took aim at United Kingdom, suggesting that cooperation from London has been limited and that the U.S.-UK relationship “isn’t what it used to be.”
He further criticized Spain’s defense spending, claiming it is the only NATO member not meeting the alliance’s proposed 5% of GDP defense spending benchmark.
However, questions remain over the extent of presidential authority to unilaterally terminate trade with Spain. The Supreme Court of the United States previously invalidated Trump’s attempt to use emergency powers to impose sweeping tariffs, raising doubts about the legal pathway for a full trade cutoff.
Despite the legal uncertainty, Trump insisted he could halt business ties with Spain “tomorrow or today,” underscoring his belief in broad executive powers.
The dispute comes amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and highlights growing friction within Western alliances over military strategy and international law.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has dispatched a five-member delegation to represent Nigeria at the funeral of Rev. Jesse Jackson, the renowned American civil rights leader, activist, and former presidential candidate, who passed away on February 17, 2026, in Chicago at the age of 84.
The delegation is led by Senator George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and includes the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, the Special Presidential Envoy for Global and Pan-African Affairs, Brian Browne, and the Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaye.
The team will deliver President Tinubu’s condolences to the Jackson family and honour the late leader’s enduring contributions to global justice and African liberation.
In a prior tribute, President Tinubu hailed Rev. Jackson “a great friend of Nigeria and Africa,” emphasizing his role as a moral voice and a formidable opponent of apartheid in South Africa. “He played a leading role in the campaign for the release of Nelson Mandela and other African National Congress leaders and was instrumental in securing international support for sanctions against the apartheid regime,” the president wrote.
The burial proceedings began on February 26 with a lying-in-state at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition in Chicago. Additional services were held in South Carolina and Washington, D.C., including a lying-in-state at the South Carolina Statehouse from March 1-5.
The events will conclude with a “People’s Celebration” at the House of Hope in Chicago on March 6, followed by a private homegoing ceremony on March 7 at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
Iran is set to hold a multi-day farewell ceremony for its late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, beginning Wednesday night in the capital, Tehran, according to state media.
Hojjatoleslam Mahmoudi, head of the Islamic Propagation Council, announced that the public memorial will last three days, while details of the funeral procession will be disclosed at a later time.
Citizens will be allowed to pay their respects at the Imam Khomeini Prayer Hall, also known as the Mosalla, starting from 10 p.m. (1830 GMT). Officials encouraged large public participation, describing the ceremony as an opportunity for Iranians to once again demonstrate unity and national presence.
Khamenei, who led Iran for decades and anchored his leadership on strong opposition to the United States and Israel, was reportedly killed on Saturday at the age of 86 in airstrikes carried out by Israeli and U.S. forces, according to Iranian state media.
His death marks a significant turning point in Iran’s political and religious leadership, with authorities yet to formally announce further details regarding succession and burial arrangements.
The United States military on Tuesday released the identities of four of the first American service members killed in the escalating war with Iran, as officials warned that further casualties are likely amid intensifying hostilities.
The four soldiers were members of the U.S. Army Reserve and served with the 103rd Sustainment Command, based in Des Moines. They were among six U.S. military personnel confirmed dead so far in the conflict.
According to the Pentagon, the soldiers were killed on Sunday when a drone struck a U.S. military installation in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait. The victims ranged in age from 20 to 42 and were part of the Army’s global logistics and supply operations.
The military identified the fallen soldiers as:
Captain Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven
Sergeant 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue
Sergeant 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake
Sergeant Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines
Coady, who enlisted in 2023, was posthumously promoted from specialist.
In a statement, Major General Todd Erskine, commander of the 79th Theater Sustainment Command, expressed his condolences, extending “my deepest sympathy and my respect” to the families and fellow service members of the deceased.
Most of the soldiers had prior overseas deployments. Khork had served in Saudi Arabia in 2018, at Guantanamo Bay in 2021, and in Poland in 2024. Amor previously deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in 2019. Tietjens had earlier deployments to Kuwait in 2009 and 2019.
President Donald Trump and other senior officials have cautioned that additional American military deaths could occur as Iran continues retaliatory strikes following joint U.S.-Israeli operations.
The U.S. Central Command reported Tuesday that Iran has launched more than 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones across the Middle East in response to the strikes, significantly widening the scope of the conflict.