Spain denies US permission to use jointly operated bases to attack Iran
Spain’s refusal to authorize US strike operations from shared bases underscores how contested legality can fracture alliance basing norms and constrain war-making by access.
Mar 2, 2026
Sources
Summary
Spain denied the United States permission to use the jointly operated bases at Rota and Morón to attack Iran.
Madrid framed base access as conditional on the existing bilateral agreement and compliance with the UN charter and international legal frameworks, directly constraining a partner’s operational latitude.
The decision limits US options for sustaining strikes from Spanish territory and sharpens allied divergence over the legality and scope of the Iran operation.
Reality Check
When major military operations proceed amid allied disputes over legality, the guardrails that normally discipline the use of force weaken into ad hoc permission systems and political pressure campaigns. Normalizing strikes that partners describe as outside international law makes basing access a lever for escalation rather than a constraint grounded in clear rules. Over time, this conditions publics to accept war decisions as faits accomplis, with accountability shifted from institutions to improvised coalition politics.
Media
Detail
<p>Spain’s government said it would not allow the United States to use the jointly operated military bases at Rota and Morón for strikes on Iran. Prime minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the US and Israel’s “unilateral military action” and described it as “outside international law.”</p><p>Foreign minister José Manuel Albares said 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.” Defence minister Margarita Robles said neither base had been used in the US military operation and that operations under the base deal must comply with international legal frameworks and have international support.</p><p>Flight-tracking data cited showed 15 US aircraft leaving Rota and Morón since the weekend, with at least seven landing at Ramstein in Germany. US defence officials declined to comment on the reasons for the departures.</p>