Spain has slammed the door on US military. Spain Blocks US Use of Its Bases for Iran Strikes
A US Air Force C-5 Galaxy takes off from the joint-use Spanish and US air base in Moron, southern Spain, Friday, Sept. 28, 2001. (AP Photo/Cristina Quicler, File)
Spain has refused to allow U.S. military aircraft linked to strikes on Iran to operate from its bases, saying such operations would violate international law.
Spain’s foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, said Sunday that U.S. and Israeli actions against Iran were “unilateral” and that Spanish bases would not be used for missions outside the country’s agreement with the United States or the principles of the United Nations Charter.
Defense Minister Margarita Robles said Spain does have a long-standing agreement allowing the U.S. to use certain facilities, but only for operations that comply with international law. She noted the bases could still support humanitarian missions in the future.
Following Spain’s decision, flight-tracking data showed at least 15 U.S. aircraft—mostly aerial refueling planes such as the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker—departing from the southern Spanish bases at Naval Station Rota and Morón Air Base. Many of the planes were seen heading toward Germany and France.
The move highlights Spain’s increasingly critical stance toward the foreign policy of Donald Trump. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has previously condemned U.S. and Israeli actions in the Middle East and has supported recognizing a Palestinian state. He has also described Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as a “genocide,” positions that have drawn both praise from supporters and sharp criticism from political opponents.
Israel’s foreign minister accused the Spanish government of aligning itself with authoritarian regimes and effectively siding with Iran, while opposition figures in Spain criticized Sánchez for what they see as political alignment with leaders such as Nicolás Maduro and Iran’s clerical leadership.
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