Defense minister says aircraft will have to bypass the NATO-member country, as the government refuses to participate in a war that is ‘against international law.’
Spain’s Defense Minister Margarita Robles waits for the start of a meeting of the North Atlantic Council in defense ministers’ format at NATO headquarters in Brussels, October 15, 2025. (Omar Havana/AP)
Spain has closed its airspace to US planes involved in attacks on Iran, a step beyond its previous denial of use of jointly-operated military bases, Defense Minister Margarita Robles said on Monday.
“We don’t authorize either the use of military bases or the use of airspace for actions related to the war in Iran,” she told reporters in Madrid.
Spanish newspaper El País had first reported the news on Monday, citing military sources.
The closure of the airspace forces military planes to bypass NATO member Spain en route to their targets in the Middle East, but it does not include emergency situations, El Pais added.
“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,” Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said during an interview with radio Cadena Ser when asked if the decision to close Spain’s airspace could worsen relations with the United States.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has been one of the most vocal opponents of the US and Israeli attacks on Iran, describing them as reckless and illegal.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to cut trade with Madrid for denying the US use of Spain’s bases in the war.
US forces use the Rota naval base and Moron air base in Spain. During the 2003 Iraq invasion, Spain, then under conservative Prime Minister José María Aznar, staunchly backed the United States.
Trump has also poured criticism on the NATO military alliance for not heeding his demand for help in securing the Strait of Hormuz waterway, as he blamed Iran’s stranglehold over the key cargo shop route for a spike in global oil prices.
“So easy for them to do, with so little risk. COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!” Trump posted on his Truth Social network last week, accusing NATO of failing to join the “fight to stop a nuclear-powered Iran.”
“Without the USA, NATO IS A PAPER TIGER!”
Israel and the US launched their campaign against Iran on February 28 in a bid to destabilize the regime and destroy its nuclear and ballistic missile capacities. Iran has responded with missile and drone strikes across the region, and its proxies in Iraq and Lebanon have also carried out attacks, with Israel launching massive airstrikes in Lebanon in response to the Hezbollah terror group’s rocket barrages.
Reference Link:- https://www.timesofisrael.com/spain-closes-airspace-to-us-planes-involved-in-iran-war/