Spain condemns US and Israel’s strikes on Iran, denies base use

 

Spanish Inquisition

Spain has denied the United States permission to use jointly operated military bases on its territory for attacks on Iran, as Madrid increased its criticism of the US and Israel's military intervention, the Guardian reported Monday.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned what he described as the “unilateral military action" taken by the US and Israel against Iran, warning that it is contributing to a “more hostile and uncertain international order."

Sánchez's government has reinforced this stance by refusing to allow the US to use bases in Rota and Morón for the ongoing strikes against Iran.

José Manuel Albares, Spain's Foreign Minister, made it clear on Monday that while Spain supports “democracy, freedom, and fundamental rights for the Iranian people," it would not permit its bases to be used in military operations that fall outside of agreements with the US or violate the UN charter.

"The bases are not being used - nor will they be used - for anything that is not in the agreement with the US, nor for anything that isn’t covered by the UN charter," he was quoted as having stated in an interview with Telecinco.

Margarita Robles, Spain’s Defense Minister, echoed Albares’ remarks, emphasizing that neither of the bases had been used for the US military operation. “There is a deal with the US over these bases, but our understanding of the deal is that operations have to comply with international legal frameworks and have international support," she said.

On Saturday, Sánchez criticized the offensive by US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, arguing that it was destabilizing the world. He called for a lasting political solution to the conflict.

In a speech in Barcelona on Sunday, Sánchez reiterated his stance: "You can be against a hateful regime, as Spanish society is as a whole when it comes to the Iranian regime, and at the same time, against an unjustified and dangerous military intervention that is outside international law."

Spain, which recognized the “State of Palestine" in 2024, has been among Europe’s most outspoken critics of Israel, dating back to October of 2023, when Israel launched a counterterrorism operation in Gaza following Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7 of that year.

In November of 2023, Spain’s Ambassador to Israel was summoned by the Foreign Ministry after Sanchez claimed that "Israel is violating international law and is carrying out indiscriminate killings in Gaza."

In April of 2024, Sanchez criticized what he called Israel's "disproportionate response" in the Gaza war, saying it risks "destabilizing the Middle East, and as a consequence, the entire world".

A month later, Albares advocated for international sanctions against Israel, citing the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza.