Spain closed its airspace Monday to all U.S. military aircraft involved in Operation Epic Fury, escalating Madrid’s defiance of its NATO ally as the American and Israeli campaign against Iran enters its sixth week.
Defense Minister Margarita Robles confirmed the move in remarks to reporters in Madrid, saying Spain would not authorize “either the use of military bases or the use of airspace for actions related to the war in Iran.”
The closure goes beyond Spain’s earlier decision in early March to bar U.S. forces from using the jointly-operated Rota naval base in Cadiz and Moron air base near Seville. U.S. aircraft had already departed those installations following that initial refusal.
Monday’s action forces American military planes, including those operating from the United Kingdom and other European staging points, to reroute around Spanish territory entirely on their way to the Middle East. Spain carved out an exception for genuine emergency landings.
Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo defended the decision during a radio interview Monday, framing it as consistent with the Sanchez government’s broader position on the conflict. “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,” he told Cadena Ser.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has been among the loudest critics of the U.S.-Israeli air campaign since it began five weeks ago, repeatedly calling the operation reckless and a violation of international norms.
The decision comes as President Trump said Monday that the U.S. has entered “serious discussions” with Tehran about ending the war, while simultaneously threatening to destroy Iran’s energy infrastructure if a deal is not finalized quickly. Trump has also floated the possibility of U.S. forces seizing Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub.
Madrid and Washington have been on a collision course since March 3, when Spain first denied access to its bases. Trump responded by threatening to sever trade with Spain entirely, a warning that appears not to have shifted Sanchez’s calculus.
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammed Baqer Qalibaf issued a fresh threat Sunday, saying Iranian forces were “waiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to set them on fire.” The remarks came hours after U.S. Marines landed in the Middle East.
Iran separately rejected Trump’s 15-point peace framework Monday as “excessive” and denied participating in talks being facilitated through Pakistan.
Spain’s move is expected to complicate logistics for U.S. sortie planning from western Europe. The airspace closure does not affect civilian aviation.
