News Desk
MADRID: Spain has refused to allow the United States to use its military bases to carry out attacks on Iran, following weekend strikes by US and Israeli forces, officials said on Monday.
Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 showed 15 US aircraft departing Spain’s Rota and Moron bases, which are jointly operated with the US but remain under Spanish sovereignty. At least seven of the aircraft landed at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Spain would not permit its bases to be used for operations against Iran, which the government has condemned. “Spanish bases are not being used for this operation, and they will not be used for anything not included in the agreement with the United States or for anything that is not in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations,” he told broadcaster Telecinco.
Defence Minister Margarita Robles confirmed the aircraft were primarily aerial refuelling tankers, including Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers, permanently stationed in Spain. FlightRadar24 showed nine tankers leaving Moron airbase for Germany, two departing from Rota to southern France, and four others from Rota whose routes were not tracked.
Britain had initially refused to allow the use of its bases for strikes on Iran but later authorised them for “collective self-defence” on Sunday, under Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Spain’s firm stance and condemnation of the US-Israel attacks under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez highlight its divergence from other Western allies and could strain relations with Washington.
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