White House: US Has ‘More Than Enough’ Weapons to Wage Extended War with Iran/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the US has “more than enough” weapons to wage an extended war with Iran, despite President Donald Trump’s earlier indications that supplies were not as extensive as he preferred. The White House says Spain has agreed to cooperate with U.S. military operations in the Middle East following pressure from President Donald Trump. Trump had threatened to cut off trade with Spain after Madrid refused to allow U.S. strikes from joint military bases. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez continues to criticize the U.S.-Israel military campaign against Iran.
Spain US Middle East Cooperation Quick Looks
- The White House says Spain will cooperate with U.S. military operations.
- President Donald Trump threatened to cut off trade with Spain earlier this week.
- Spain had initially refused to allow U.S. strikes from joint bases on Spanish soil.
- The bases involved include Rota and Morón in southern Spain.
- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez criticized the Iran war as dangerous.
- The European Union warned it would defend member states’ trade interests.
- U.S. officials argue Spain’s refusal risked slowing military operations.
- The dispute highlights growing tensions between Washington and European allies.
Deep Look
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the US has “more than enough” weapons to wage an extended war with Iran, despite President Donald Trump’s earlier indications that supplies were not as extensive as he preferred.
“The United States of American has more than enough capability to not only successfully execute Operation Epic Fury, but to go much further,” she said during today’s press briefing. “And we have weapon stockpiles in places that many in this world don’t even know about.”
Trump had earlier complained about the US’ weapons stocks, writing in a Truth Social post on Monday that “we have a good supply, but are not where we want to be.” Defense company executives are slated to meet at the White House on Fridayamid a push to accelerate their production.
But Leavitt said Trump was referencing the Biden administration’s decision to send US weapons to Ukraine “for free” to aid their war with Russia, rather than signaling any current supply concerns.
“The president was pointing out that, unfortunately, we had a very stupid and incompetent leader in this White House for four years who gave away many of our best weapons for nothing,” she said.
White House says Spain agrees to cooperate with US operations in Middle East
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Spanish authorities had responded to Trump’s warning and agreed to work with U.S. forces in the region.
“With respect to Spain, I think they heard the president’s message yesterday loud and clear,” Leavitt said during a briefing.
She added that U.S. and Spanish military officials are now coordinating on operational matters related to the war.
“It’s my understanding over the past several hours they’ve agreed to cooperate with the U.S. military,” she said.
Trade Threat Triggered Diplomatic Dispute
The dispute escalated Tuesday when Trump threatened to suspend trade with Spain after Spanish officials refused to allow the United States to use shared military bases in southern Spain for strikes related to the war with Iran.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares had previously said Madrid would not authorize the use of those bases for operations that were not covered under the United Nations charter.
The bases in question — Naval Station Rota and Morón Air Base — are jointly operated by the United States and Spain but remain under Spanish command.
Trump dismissed the restriction and suggested the United States could use the facilities regardless.
“We could use their base if we want,” Trump said Tuesday. “Nobody’s going to tell us not to use it.”
However, the threat to sever trade ties significantly raised the stakes of the dispute between Washington and Madrid.
Spain Maintains Opposition To War
Despite the White House announcement, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez continued to strongly criticize the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
In a televised address Wednesday, Sánchez warned that the conflict could lead to devastating consequences across the region.
“We are not going to be complicit in something that is bad for the world and contrary to our values and interests,” Sánchez said.
He described the military intervention as both “unjustifiable” and “dangerous,” arguing that it risks triggering a prolonged conflict in the Middle East similar to previous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“In short, the position of the government of Spain can be summarized in four words,” Sánchez said. “No to the war.”
Sánchez is widely viewed as one of Europe’s remaining progressive leaders and has frequently clashed with the Trump administration on foreign policy issues.
Questions Over Trade Sanctions
Trump’s threat to cut off trade with Spain also raised questions about how such a move could be implemented.
Spain is a member of the European Union, which negotiates trade agreements collectively on behalf of all 27 member countries.
That means any trade restrictions imposed by the United States could potentially affect the entire EU rather than Spain alone.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said a trade embargo could involve multiple measures but did not provide details.
“It would be a combination effort,” Bessent said in an interview Wednesday.
He argued that Spain’s refusal to allow the U.S. to use its bases in earlier strikes against Iran put American troops at risk.
“Anything that slows down our ability to prosecute this war in the fastest and most effective way puts American lives at risk,” Bessent said.
EU Signals Support For Spain
European officials responded cautiously to the escalating dispute but signaled they would defend the interests of member states.
European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said the European Union stands in solidarity with Spain and is prepared to act if necessary.
“We stand in full solidarity with all member states and their citizens,” Gill said.
The EU and the United States only recently finalized a trade agreement last year following months of negotiations over tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.
European officials are wary that new tensions could disrupt that fragile economic relationship.
Economic Stakes For Spain
Spain’s business community has also expressed concern about the potential economic impact of the dispute.
Major Spanish business groups described the United States as a key economic partner and urged both governments to avoid damaging the relationship.
“We trust that our trade relations will ultimately not be affected,” several Spanish business organizations said in a joint statement.
Economic data shows Spain’s direct trade exposure to the United States is relatively modest compared with other EU countries.
According to the Bank of Spain, trade with the U.S. represents about 4.4% of Spain’s gross domestic product.
Exports of Spanish goods to the United States account for roughly 1% of the country’s GDPor about 16 billion euros annually.
Key exports include pharmaceutical products, olive oil, refined gas, and electrical equipment.
Longstanding Tensions With Washington
The dispute over Iran policy is the latest in a series of disagreements between the Spanish government and the Trump administration.
Sánchez previously criticized Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and has also resisted pressure from the United States to significantly increase Spain’s defense spending within NATO.
Spain has committed to spending about 2.1% of its GDP on defensefar below the 5% target Trump has urged NATO members to adopt.
At the time, Trump warned Spain could face tariffs if it failed to meet the higher defense spending goal.
The latest confrontation over military cooperation and trade suggests tensions between Washington and Madrid may continue as the Middle East conflict unfolds.
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