Albares insists that the bases “are under Spanish sovereignty” and does not expect “absolutely” any reprisals from the US

Eduardo González Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares insisted this Tuesday that Spain will not allow the United States to use the Morón and Rota military bases for the offensive against Iran because “they are bases under Spanish sovereignty,” and he affirmed that the government does not expect “absolutely” any reprisals from Washington. “The joint-use bases with the United States are Spanish sovereign bases that operate within the framework of the treaty with the United States, and it is within this premise of our sovereignty and the treaty framework that they can be used,” Albares declared during the press conference following the Council of Ministers meeting, referring to 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 said agreement must have Spain's approval. “Therefore, there is nothing strange or surprising, and we do not expect any consequences whatsoever,” he continued. “I believe that Spain's commitment to Euro-Atlantic security and the fact that Spain is a committed and reliable ally are absolutely beyond question for everyone,” he added. In any case, he clarified, “I have not had any conversation with any American representative nor received any request in this regard.” On the other hand, Albares was emphatic regarding those who claim that Spain is being left “alone” in Europe, after Germany, France, and the United Kingdom have shown a very different stance from that of Pedro Sánchez's government on the Iran crisis. “The idea of being left alone sounds familiar. It reminds me of the recognition of the State of Palestine, it reminds me of our position on Gaza,” he stated. “At that time, it was also said that we were going it alone, but then it turned out that we weren't. We were the first and we were leading an overwhelming majority that followed us,” he declared. In any case, Albares declined to comment on the positions of other European countries. “I can only speak for the position of the Spanish government,” he stated. “In the end, we are faced with a dilemma: either international law and the principles of the UN Charter or the law of the jungle, where the law of the strongest prevails, but it is a more unstable world for everyone,” he added. Response to Israel Albares also responded to the harsh criticism from Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who stated on social media that Spain is being left out of “the right side of history.” “The Israeli Foreign Minister’s position is truly absurd and ridiculous,” Albares stated. “Spain has a consistent foreign policy and position,” and always says “exactly the same thing, based on the same principles and with the same objectives, which is to defend peace, global stability, international law, the principles of the UN Charter, and we say this in Ukraine, we say it in Gaza, we say it in Venezuela, in Greenland, and in Iran. Therefore, I believe that these comments are self-discrediting,” he added. The Franco-German “nuclear shield” On the other hand, Albares declined to comment clearly on the “high-level nuclear steering group” proposed this Monday by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to strengthen their cooperation in the area of nuclear deterrence. “There is no offer of a French umbrella to cover all countries,” the minister asserted. “What we have are discussions about a ‘steering committee,’ as the German Chancellor publicly announced yesterday on social media,” he added. “Our position is clear, and the Prime Minister made it clear in Munich: in military matters, but very clearly in nuclear matters, since we are talking about weapons of mass destruction with no turning back, we are much more in favor of control and reduction of nuclear weapons than of maintaining an escalation,” he concluded.

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