Spain has slammed the door on US military aircraft involved in strikes on Iran, saying American forces can't use its bases for operations Madrid views as illegal under international law. Spain's foreign minister José Manuel Albares said Sunday that US and Israeli actions were "unilateral" and Spanish military bases "will not be used for anything that falls outside the agreement with the United States and the United Nations Charter," the New York Times reports.
Defense minister Margarita Robles added that while Spain has a base-use deal with the US, it applies only to missions that comply with international law, though she said the facilities could still support future humanitarian work. Maps from FlightRadar24 show that at least 15 US aircraft, mostly aerial refueling tankers, departed the Rota and Morón bases headed for Germany and France after the decision, reports Reuters. Robles said the Boeing KC-135 "Stratotanker" and other aircraft had been permanently stationed in Spain.
The move underscores Spain's role as one of Europe's sharpest critics of the Trump administration's foreign policy, from Gaza to Venezuela. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has backed recognition of a Palestinian state, supported barring Israel from Eurovision, and labeled Israel's Gaza campaign a "genocide," drawing praise from progressives and fury from conservatives at home and abroad, the Times reports. Israel's foreign minister accused Madrid of siding with "tyrants" and "standing with Iran," while Spain's opposition mocked Sánchez as politically aligned with leaders like Nicolás Maduro and Iran's ayatollahs.
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