US moves military planes from EU country that condemned its attack on Iran and refused to allow it to use bases
Boeing KC-135 “Stratotanker” aircraft, PHOTO: Jim Hollander / UPI / Profimedia Images
Fifteen US aircraft have left the Rota and Morón military bases in southern Spain after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran over the weekend, according to maps released on Monday by flight-tracking website FlightRadar24.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday he rejected what he called unilateral military action by the US and Israel, adding that it represented an escalation that was contributing to a more uncertain and hostile international order.
In a statement published on the “X” platform, Sanchez also said that he also rejects the actions of the Iranian regime and the Revolutionary Guards.
“We demand immediate de-escalation and full respect for international law,” he added.
Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Spain would not allow its military bases, which are jointly operated by the US and Spain but are under Spanish sovereignty, to be used for attacks against Iran, actions Spain condemned.
At least seven of the aircraft were listed on FlightRadar24 as being destined for Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
And Britain initially refused to allow the US to use its bases
Britain initially refused to allow its bases to be used for an attack on Iran, but on Sunday Prime Minister Keir Starmer authorized their use for “collective self-defence”.
Reuters notes that Spain's stance and Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's strong condemnation of US-Israeli actions in Iran make it a dissenting voice in the region once again, potentially straining its relationship with Washington even more.
“The Spanish bases are not used for this operation and will not be used for anything that is not provided for in the agreement with the United States or for anything that is not in accordance with the United Nations Charter,” Albares told Spanish broadcaster Telecinco.
Defense Minister Margarita Robles said US aircraft transferred out of Spain – mainly aerial refueling tankers, including the Boeing KC-135 “Stratotanker” – were permanently stationed in Spain.
The monitoring website FlightRadar24 showed that nine tanker planes took off from the Morón air base in southern Spain on Sunday and headed for Germany.
Two flights left Rota, a naval base and airfield, for southern France, according to FlightRadar24. Four other flights took off from Rota, but their route was not indicated.
