Spanish newspaper El País reported additional on earlier information relating to Spain’s place on U.S. navy motion towards Iran, with the nation’s Prime Minister confirming all associated flight plans have been rejected.
After a mass exodus of U.S. Air Pressure (USAF) aerial refueling plane from Spanish bases, incessantly utilized by U.S. forces, in early March, it grew to become readily obvious that Spain was refusing the diplomatic permissions needed to permit the U.S. to make use of Spanish soil to help its conflict towards Iran.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez instructed Spain’s Congress of Deputies that “We now have denied the US using the Rota and Morón bases for this unlawful conflict. All flight plans involving operations in Iran have been rejected. All of them, together with these for refueling plane.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated in an interview with WSJ’s Gordon Fairclough that the U.S.’s conflict with Iran “is an enormous mistake for the world.”
Watch extra: 🎥 pic.twitter.com/Ph6I7WoQ3W
— The Wall Road Journal (@WSJ) March 27, 2026
Spain’s Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, confirmed the coverage to reporters on Monday, Mar. 30, 2026, saying “We don’t authorize both using navy bases or using airspace for actions associated to the conflict in Iran.”
These statements seem like confirmations of current coverage, reasonably than a shift. Nevertheless, the truth that they’ve chosen now to reiterate their coverage might have been supposed as a deliberate sign of the Spanish authorities’s opposition to present U.S. coverage.
Naval Air Station Rota and Morón Air Base are normally a few of the busiest U.S. bases in Europe, with common detachments of tankers, stopovers of transiting plane, and ahead deployed maritime patrol plane. Through the 1991 Gulf Warfare, Morón Air Base hosted B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers, and the bottom has extra lately been dwelling to common Bomber Activity Pressure (BTF) deployments. Upfront of Operation Epic Fury commencing, U.S. plane continued to make use of the 2 bases as large quantities of air energy have been shifted in direction of the Center East.
USAF KC-46A Pegasus #AE5F97 as GOLD32 has dropped off its receivers within the Jap Mediterranean and is RTB to Moron AB, Spain.
It might be hampered by an incident at Moron with one other USAF KC-46A #AE63B5 as GOLD71 who carried out a rejected takeoff leading to 8 of their 10 tires… pic.twitter.com/z7wDrT0hBI
— TheIntelFrog (@TheIntelFrog) January 31, 2026
Reportedly, earlier than Spain’s veto, the U.S. had thought-about Morón as a location for ahead deployed bombers in the course of the present battle, with Rota additionally in a position for use for extra capability and help actions. From Spain, the bombers would have had a comparatively easy flight by way of the center of the Mediterranean, in a position to keep away from coming into a lot of the territorial airspace alongside the way in which.
As a substitute, B-52s and B-1B Lancers have been stationed at RAF Fairford within the UK. Fairford, additionally, is not any stranger to bomber deployments and actually has the extra help of the close by RAF Welford ammunition facility in addition to specialist hangars for the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber (although none have but used Fairford throughout Operation Epic Fury). This provides many hours to every flight, with two predominant routings apparently in use – over France (in distinction to reviews of an analogous airspace veto from France), or west and over the Atlantic abeam Portugal.
A Rockwell B-1B Lancer took off from RAF Fairford within the UK and is heading south over France. pic.twitter.com/DaFCYko7sv
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) March 13, 2026
In addition to the bases being closed, Spain is not going to difficulty authorisation for any plane concerned in Operation Epic Fury to enter its sovereign airspace. Flights particularly not associated to ongoing operations towards Iran are additionally nonetheless allowed, although it’s unclear how Spain would possibly differentiate this element for sure sorts, just like the C-17A Globemaster IIIs that journey backwards and forwards to the Center East day by day even in peacetime.
The one exception is for plane experiencing an emergency, through which case Spanish airspace can be open as standard.
Spanish air visitors controllers, although, have nonetheless been involved with U.S. plane flying missions towards Iran – together with strategic bombers. As within the case of current controversies surrounding using Irish air visitors management companies by U.S. plane, it’s because air visitors management areas of accountability incessantly prolong past a rustic’s sovereign borders.
I feel it’s vital so as to add context to this example involving a US bomber transiting Shanwick Airspace;
The plane was flying west to east by way of the Shanwick Oceanic Management Space, which is a big portion of worldwide airspace over the Atlantic, not Irish territorial… pic.twitter.com/5iGAAl7gZz
— Shauns_Aviation🇮🇪✈️ (@Shauns_Aviation) March 14, 2026
Spain can not refuse permission for U.S. plane to make use of this airspace, so partaking with them by way of air visitors management and making certain their separation from common air visitors is a crucial security measure. Plane which have made use of Spanish air visitors management companies embody B-2s flying fight sorties towards Iran direct from Whiteman Air Pressure Base, Missouri.
For a part of the time the B-2s are involved with Spanish controllers the bombers transit the Strait of Gibraltar. The Strait is legally protected underneath the UN Conference on the Regulation of the Sea (UNCLOS) as a global passage each on the water and within the air, whatever the standard 12 nautical mile territory restrict.
Portuguese Bases
Spain’s neighbour to the west seems, at the least publicly, to aligning itself extra with different European nations like France, Italy, and Germany. Although shying away from any endorsement of U.S. actions, the airfield of Lajes on the Azores – a Portuguese territory – has remained open for U.S. transit flights.
This has included Air Mobility Command plane just like the KC-46 and KC-135, which can be utilized each for transport and air to air refueling, in addition to EA-18G Growlers, and a uncommon transatlantic deployment of E-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning (AEW) plane. It’s thought that these Hawkeyes are being deployed to help with the detection of small drones that Iran has utilized in massive numbers towards U.S. forces and allies within the area, no matter their involvement within the battle.
A number of EA-18Gs, E-2Ds, and KC-46s departed Lajes this morning, heading east.📸 Kurt Mendonça #Lajes #USNavy #USAF pic.twitter.com/QerjcHUQVF
— Silva_Azores🇵🇹 (@Azorean_Lion) March 21, 2026
Further AEW functionality can solely turn out to be extra vital after the notable destruction of one of many U.S. Air Pressure’s dwindling fleet of E-3 Sentry AWACS plane. The jet was focused by Iran throughout an assault on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, and pictures present the rear fuselage utterly destroyed and the signature radome on the bottom subsequent to the plane.
Pictures posted by FB web page Air Pressure amn/nco/snco present the extent of the harm to US Air Pressure E-3G Sentry 81-0005 following the drone and missile assault at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia. The assault additionally broken a number of KC-135s.As for the E-3, the time period “broken” was… pic.twitter.com/VpCtXluELU
— The Aviationist (@TheAviationist) March 29, 2026
Operation Epic Fury is now in its fifth week, and at current reveals no signal of slowing down. As a substitute, rumours proceed to swirl concerning the potential deployment of U.S. floor forces.
Transport plane actions from main U.S. Military bases, in addition to the ahead deployment of large numbers of MC-130J Commando II particular forces insertion and help plane would appear to help these rumours, although they shouldn’t be taken as affirmation that any order has but been given aside from to make preparations.
