Spain Closes Airspace To US Military
Spain has stopped any warplanes linked to the U.S. and Israeli war in Iran flying over its territory, likely deepening the existing rift between the United States and one of NATO's most-outspoken critics of U.S. operations in the Middle East.
The more-than-four weeks of strikes on Iran are "illegal and deeply unjust," Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said on Monday. "I believe everyone knows what Spain's position is; it's a very clear position."
Spain's left-wing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has openly condemned U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran since the start of the war on February 28, which has sparked persistent retaliatory attacks by Iran across the Middle East while U.S. and Israeli troops continue targeting the country.
Sánchez, more strident in his criticism of the war than other American allies in Europe, branded the conflict an "illegal war." The country had already barred Washington from using two key air bases in southern Spain.
Spain's El País newspaper had reported on Monday that the ban on entering Spanish airspace would apply to American aircraft stationed in third-party countries, like the U.K.
Sánchez told lawmakers in the Spanish capital on Wednesday that the country's authorities had "rejected" all flight plans linked to operations in Iran, but did not elaborate.
Spanish government officials quickly said at the start of March that U.S. jets and refueling aircraft would not be allowed to use the jointly-operated Rota and Morón bases near the southern cities of Cádiz and Seville to attack Iran, while flight-tracking data showed more than a dozen U.S. aircraft left the two facilities within days of the start of the war.
Trump then threatened to cut off all trade with Spain, labeling the country "terrible." Sánchez, meanwhile, doubled down on his government's position, accusing the White House of playing "Russian roulette with the destiny of millions."
Shortly after, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt indicated Madrid had agreed to work with U.S. military forces operating in the Middle East, several Spanish government officials categorically denied any change of heart.
Spain has been one of the most resistant countries to dramatic increases in European defense spending spurred on by President Donald Trump and his administration.
While the U.S. has lashed out at NATO for refusing to become more deeply embroiled in the strikes on Iran, most major players across the alliance have stopped short of biting criticism of the attacks.
The U.K. said on March 20 that it had agreed to allow the U.S. military to use British bases to target Iranian sites in the key Strait of Hormuz shipping lane, which Iran has effectively blocked for the past four weeks.
The British government had only previously permitted U.S. forces to make use of facilities in the country for defensive operations, rather than strikes on Iran.
Trump called NATO nations "cowards" for refusing to put forward warships to help reopen the strait, through which a fifth of the world's oil and gas typically travels.
Iran says it has blocked tankers and cargo ships linked to the U.S., Israel or its allies from safely passing through the strait. Maritime traffic has tumbled by 90 percent as global fuel prices soared and share markets wobbled, with pressure on the U.S. to break the deadlock growing.
