Spain has closed its airspace to American planes participating in strikes against Iran, Madrid driving the point home to Washington after refusing the use of its bases in this conflict, Defense Minister Margarita Robles said Monday.
“We do not authorize the use of military bases or airspace for operations related to the war in Iran,” she told reporters in Madrid.
The Spanish newspaper El País was the first to report this information, citing military sources.
The newspaper specifies that the closure of the airspace, which forces military aircraft to bypass Spain – a NATO member – to reach their targets in the Middle East, does not apply to emergency situations.
“This decision is part of the Spanish government’s decision not to participate or contribute to a war that has been unilaterally triggered and in violation of international law,” Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said on Radio Cadena Ser.
Over two weeks ago, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, when announcing five billion euros in measures to counter the economic impact in the Middle East, stated that no “plan can neutralize the misery of this illegal war”.
At the beginning of the month, furious over Madrid’s refusal on the use of Spanish bases, U.S. President Donald Trump declared that the United States would end all their commercial exchanges with Spain.
(Paolo Laudani and Emma Pinedo; with the contribution of Victoria Waldersee, French version Benoit Van Overstraeten, edited by Sophie Louet)
