Spain closes its skies to American aircraft tied to Iran conflict

Spain's government, led by the leftist party, has taken a firm stance against US military actions in Iran, with Defence Minister Margarita Robles announcing the closure of Spanish airspace to US planes involved in these missions, in addition to prohibiting the use of Spanish bases by Washington.

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This decision, as stated by Robles to journalists, means that Spanish bases are not authorised for use by the US, and Spanish airspace cannot be utilised for actions related to the conflict in Iran, thereby confirming a report previously published by El Pais daily.

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According to El Pais, Spain's refusal to cooperate with the US has resulted in complications for US military operations, as bombers are now required to alter their routes and logistics en route to the Middle East.

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The El Pais report also noted that the only exception to the airspace closure is in emergency situations, where planes may be permitted to transit or land in Spanish territory.

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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has been at the forefront of Western leaders in his opposition to the war, which was initiated by US-Israeli strikes on February 28 and has since escalated to engulf the entire Middle East.

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Sanchez's consistent stance against the war has sparked intense frustration from the US, with President Donald Trump threatening to sever trade ties with Spain in their most recent policy dispute.

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Prior to this, Spain had already drawn Trump's ire by declining to agree to increase NATO defence spending to five percent of member states' GDP, a demand made by the US president.