Robles will receive the US ambassador this Wednesday after denying the use of Morón and Rota against Iran

Eduardo González Defense Minister Margarita Robles will meet this Wednesday with the US ambassador to Madrid, Benjamin León Jr., after the Spanish government denied Washington the use of the Morón and Rota military bases for the offensive against Iran. The meeting, which will take place at the Ministry headquarters, was already on the minister's agenda before the start of the US and Israeli military operation against Iran, which began on Saturday and has caused half a thousand deaths, including the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ali Khmenei. In any case, the meeting comes after Spain repeatedly ruled out the use of the two military bases for the operation in Iran, citing the Defense Cooperation Agreement, which governs bilateral military cooperation and stipulates that any use of the two bases by Washington for operations not covered by the bilateral agreement must have Spain's approval. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares has repeatedly stated since last Sunday that the United States has not used and will not use the two bases because their use is regulated by a Defense Cooperation Agreement between Spain and the United States and must comply with the Charter of the United Nations. For her part, Margarita Robles also asserted this Monday that the Morón and Rota bases have not provided “any type of assistance” to the United States in its attacks against Iran and reiterated that the “agreement” with Washington obliges them to operate “within the framework of legality” and requires “international authorization for such actions to be carried out.” As a consequence of Spain's stance, the United States has withdrawn at least 15 tanker aircraft from Morón and Rota, as confirmed by Robles herself. "They left because they weren't going to carry out any operations," she asserted. The Iranian ambassador to Spain, Reza Zabib, warned this Monday during a press conference in Madrid that his country would consider any facility serving as a base for military "aggression" against Iran a "legitimate target," without expressly mentioning the two Spanish bases. Zabib was summoned that same day by José Manuel Albares to convey his "rejection and condemnation" of the "absolutely unjustified attacks by Tehran against numerous countries in the Middle East," including an EU member like Cyprus, and to ask that these "unjustified actions" "cease immediately." Spain's position on the operation in Iran has outraged Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar. First Hamas thanked Sánchez. Then the Houthis thanked Sánchez. Now Iran is thanking him. “Is that being on the right side of history?” he wrote on social media. Sa’ar’s stance contrasts with that of the president of the People’s Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, who, in a statement released on social media, wrote that “Spain must stand unequivocally with liberal democracies.” “Something is wrong when Hamas, the Houthis, and the Iranian regime applaud the government,” he asserted. “That is not defending Spain’s interests, but rather putting them at risk,” he added.

Related Content

An American diplomat in the Sevillian Holy Week of the 19th century

17th century Madrid's Holy Week in the eyes of a Muslim Ambassador

The Holy Week in Baroque Madrid told by a French aristocrat

EU Member States give green light to Gibraltar agreement with the United Kingdom

Rubio calls the closure of Spanish airspace “disappointing,” and Albares asserts that he “fears absolutely nothing” from the US