Spain Refused to Support Military Operation against Iran

Spain has refused to support US and Israeli attacks on Iran with its military resources, distancing itself from the position of France, Germany and the United Kingdom, which have said they are prepared to carry out “proportionate offensive actions” in response to Tehran’s attacks in the Persian Gulf region.

Spain’s foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, stressed that Madrid is in favour of de-escalation and a return to negotiations. According to him, Europe should be “a voice of balance and sobriety”, rather than being drawn into a spiral of violence and unilateral military actions outside the framework of the UN Charter.

Following Spain’s refusal to back the military operation, the Pentagon decided to withdraw around ten KC-135 refuelling aircraft stationed at US bases in Morón de la Frontera (Seville) and Rota (Cádiz). As defence minister Margarita Robles stated, Spanish bases will not take part in the operation unless it involves a humanitarian mission. She added that the bilateral military cooperation agreement with the US can only be applied within the bounds of international law, and that the current actions by US forces have not been approved by the UN, NATO or the EU.

At the same time, US destroyers based in Rota remain deployed in the eastern Mediterranean, El País reports. Their deployment does not require separate authorisation from Madrid, as the ships can operate outside their home base and receive orders independently.

The US and Israel carried out strikes on Iran on 28 February. As a result of the attack, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed. In response, Tehran launched attacks on Israel, countries in the Persian Gulf and Cyprus, stating that US military bases were the targets. Due to the attacks, airspace has been closed in Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait. Travel to Syria and Lebanon is not recommended.