Spain closes its airspace to US aircraft attacking Iran
Photo: Spain’s Defense Minister Margarita Robles (Getty Images)
Spain’s Defense Minister, Margarita Robles, said that the country has closed its airspace to US aircraft involved in strikes on Iran. In doing so, Madrid has gone a step further after previously refusing to allow the US to use joint military bases, Reuters reports.
"We don't authorize either the use of military bases or the use of airspace for actions related to the war in Iran," she emphasized.
According to El País, citing military sources, the closure of the airspace is forcing US military aircraft to bypass Spain on their way to targets in the Middle East.
At the same time, this decision does not apply to emergency situations.
Spain’s Economy Minister, Carlos Cuerpo, commenting on the potential impact of this decision on relations with the US, said it is part of the government’s previously adopted position — not to participate in or facilitate a war that Madrid considers to have been launched unilaterally and in violation of international law.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had earlier been one of the most vocal critics of US and Israel strikes on Iran, calling them reckless and illegal.
Spain had previously refused to support the US operation against Iran, forcing American forces to withdraw aircraft from Spanish bases.
As Spain’s Defense Minister, Margarita Robles, reported, the US relocated around 12 KC-135 refueling aircraft from military bases in Morón de la Frontera in Seville and Rota in Cádiz.
Following this, US President Donald Trump ordered the suspension of all relations with Spain over its refusal to grant the American side access to military bases.
