Why a German occupation of Spain could become a strategic trap

What if Germany held Spain and Crete while Britain retained Gibraltar and Norway?

Germany would likely be trapped in a costly Iberian occupation and logistics war while British carriers, Gibraltar bases, and Norway created pressure on several fronts.

The scenario assumes that Germany must occupy Spain and fight guerrillas rather than rely on Franco voluntarily joining the war. Mountainous Spain and the Portuguese frontier would expose logistical weaknesses already familiar from the Condor Legion's experience. That commitment could consume forces needed for an invasion of the Soviet Union. British carriers could raid targets around the peninsula, while Gibraltar would need a deeper defensive zone, nearby airfields, and cooperation with local partisans rather than protection at the rock alone. Continued British control in Norway would add another strategic pressure that Germany could not easily isolate.