Rabat – Spain has closed its airspace to American planes involved in the war against Iran, Defense Minister Margarita Robles said today.
“We don’t authorize either the use of military bases or the use of airspace for actions related to the war in Iran,” Robles told reporters in Madrid.
The move comes two weeks after Spain said it would not allow American aircraft stationed in the country to be used for US attacks on Iran.
In response, Donald Trump voiced his frustration with Spain’s decision, telling NPR: “We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain.”
Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed his country’s disapproval of “breaking the international law that protects us all, especially the civilian population.”
He has described the US-Israel attacks on Iran as illegal and reckless, rejecting the idea of solving world problems through “conflicts and bombs.”
“No to accepting that the world can only solve its problems through conflicts and bombs. And in short, four words. Not to the war,” Sanchez added.
Read also: Spain Withdraws Ambassador to Israel Over Gaza, Iran War
Spanish newspaper El Pais said today the airspace closure prevents American military planes from stopping in Spain on their way to their “targets” in the Middle East, though the closure does not apply in emergency situations.
The country’s Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said the move reflects the decision the government has already made “not to participate in or contribute to a war which was initiated unilaterally and against international law.”
The war began on February 28 when the US and Iran launched coordinated, intense attacks on Iran in the middle of talks between Washington and Tehran on the Iranian nuclear infrastructure. The attacks targeted military and energy infrastructure in Iran and killed several high-ranking leaders, including the supreme leader Ali Khamenei.