Spain tightens the brakes on U.S. military access

Spain has escalated its opposition to the U.S.-Israel war against Iran by closing its airspace to U.S. aircraft involved in the attacks. The decision further cements Madrid’s role as Europe’s loudest critic of the conflict, which is not exactly the kind of diplomatic superlative anyone is usually hoping for.

The move, first reported by El País and confirmed on Monday by Defence Minister Margarita Robles, follows Spain’s earlier refusal to allow the United States to use jointly operated military bases in the country for any operation related to the war.

“We don’t authorise either the use of military bases or the use of airspace for actions related to the war in Iran,” Robles told reporters. “I think everyone knows Spain’s position. It’s very clear,” she added, describing the war as “profoundly illegal and profoundly unjust”.

What the airspace ban changes

The closure means military aircraft, including planes based in the UK and elsewhere in Europe, will now have to avoid Spanish airspace on the way to targets in the Middle East, except in emergencies.

Spain’s decision adds another layer to its already strained relationship with the White House. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has openly angered Donald Trump with his clear opposition to the war and has urged the United States, Israel and Iran to stop fighting.

“You can’t respond to one illegality with another because that’s how humanity’s great disasters begin,” Sánchez said.

Trump had already threatened to cut off trade with Madrid after Spain said the U.S. could not use the bases for the conflict.

Madrid says this is a political line, not a technical one

Asked on Monday whether restricting access to Spanish airspace could make relations with Washington even worse, Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo told local radio that the move simply followed the government’s broader position.

“This decision is part of the decision already made by the Spanish government not to participate in or contribute to a war which was initiated unilaterally and against international law,” he said.

Sánchez had previewed the latest step last week in the Spanish congress, where he said:

“We have denied the US the use of the bases at Rota and Morón [de la Frontera] in this illegal war. All flight plans related to the war in Iran have been rejected, including refuelling flights.”

What U.S. aircraft can still do

The restrictions do not mean every U.S. military aircraft is suddenly grounded in Spain. Under the bilateral agreement between the two countries, American planes can still use the bases for permitted purposes, including logistics support for the roughly 80,000 U.S. forces stationed in Europe.

Still, Spain has already taken practical steps to keep those facilities out of the conflict. At the end of February, 15 U.S. KC-135 refuelling aircraft based in Spain were moved from Morón de la Frontera and Rota to bases in France and Germany.

Robles also pushed back on reporting by El Mundo, which claimed at least 70 U.S. military flights had used the bases since the conflict began. She said those flights were military transport operations and did not involve fighter jets or refuelling aircraft.

A rare historical footnote

Spain’s bases have hosted B-2 and B-52 bombers during exercises, but according to the report, they have only been used once to directly support attacks on a third country: during the 1991 Gulf war, under the socialist government of Felipe González.

For now, Spain is making one thing plain: no bases, no airspace, and no interest in being quietly useful about it.