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

Eduardo González US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called the Spanish government's decision to close its airspace to any aircraft involved in the war in Iran “disappointing.” In response to these statements, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares affirmed that he maintains a “fluid and cordial” relationship with the head of US diplomacy and that “Spain is an indispensable NATO ally and guarantees Euro-Atlantic security as much as any other.” “It’s disappointing to see that in a time of need for the United States, we have countries like Spain, a NATO member that we are pledged to defend, denying us the use of their airspace and bragging about it,” Rubio declared during an interview with Al Jazeera television. “If NATO is just about us defending Europe if they’re attacked, but them denying us basing rights when we need them, then that’s not a very good arrangement. That’s a hard one to stay engaged in and say this is good for the United States,” he continued. “NATO is an alliance, and an alliance means it has to be mutually beneficial. It cannot be a one-way street,” he warned. Referring directly to Rubio’s words, José Manuel Albares declared this Tuesday, during an interview on the program 'Boulevard 1' on Radio Euskadi and ETB2, that “Spain is an indispensable ally in NATO and guarantees Euro-Atlantic security as much as anyone.” He also asserted that his relations with the US Secretary of State “are cordial.” “He is of Cuban origin, we always speak in Spanish, and he speaks excellent Spanish,” he explained. “We maintain a fluid and cordial relationship, and obviously the common language also helps us,” he added, without further comment on Marco Rubio’s specific statements. In subsequent statements on the TVE program 'Mañaneros 360º', Albares asserted that the government fears “absolutely nothing” from the United States. “How can a country fear anything for defending international law, for defending world peace, for defending the Charter of the United Nations, for also being a completely reliable and committed partner and ally in transatlantic security and transatlantic trade?” he asked. “Absolutely not. What kind of world would we live in if those who should be afraid are those who respect the law, those who are in favor of cooperation, and yet those who fear nothing are those who believe in confrontation, those who believe in the law of the strongest, those who believe in the violation of human rights?” he added. The Spanish government has closed Spanish airspace to any aircraft involved in the war in Iran, according to government sources who spoke to several media outlets and were confirmed this Monday by Defense Minister Margarita Robles and José Manuel Albares. According to the sources, this measure will affect not only the use of the Rota and Morón air bases, but also aircraft linked to attacks against Iran, which will not be allowed to fly over Spanish airspace. This prohibition applies both to takeoffs from Spanish soil and to overflights of military aircraft originating from bases in the United Kingdom or France. In this regard, Margarita Robles clarified on Tuesday that the ban on the use of the Rota and Morón air bases and the prohibition of flights for aircraft involved in the Iran-Iraq War has been in effect since February 28, after the US informed the Spanish government, “unexpectedly and unexpectedly,” of the attack on Iran, “outside the framework of the Atlantic Alliance and any international support.” “Authorization is being requested for the use of these bases for an attack on Iran without specifying how, when, what scale, or how long it will last, and it is clear that it has no international backing,” she added. In any case, the minister assured the press in the halls of Congress that the government “is not considering” the possibility of the US withdrawing its military bases from Spain “because the bases operate in a peacekeeping environment and we will continue to collaborate.” Spain has not acted alone in its decision. US President Donald Trump on Tuesday accused France of blocking American aircraft carrying weapons to Israel from passing through its airspace. “France did not allow planes bound for Israel, loaded with military supplies, to fly over French territory. France was very useless regarding the 'Butcher of Iran,' which was successfully eliminated. The US will remember!” Trump wrote on his social media account, TruthSocial. In Italy, even the far-right government of Giorgia Meloni has denied US aircraft involved in the war the use of one of its bases in Sicily. Specifically, the Italian Ministry of Defense has denied several Americans permission to land at the Sigonella airbase (9:36) in Sicily, considering it an unauthorized military operation that is not part of the bilateral agreement. However, Italy has not yet closed its airspace to aircraft participating in the war in Iran, unlike Spain and France. "I'm not going to comment on other countries' decisions. That was a decision made by the Spanish government immediately at the start of this war, and what I can say is that, in this war, in Gaza, and in the recognition of the State of Palestine, we were the first and led the way in Europe and the world," Albares told TVE regarding Italy's decision. Article by Pedro Sánchez The latest controversy between Spain and the United States has coincided with the publication of an article by the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, in ‘Le Monde Diplomatique,’ in which he defends the multilateral order and calls on Europe to take a further step in that direction. “The rules-based world order is also weakened when political leaders, faced with these aggressions, choose silence or ambiguity instead of defending international law,” Sánchez writes. “In their eagerness to avoid confrontation, they fall into the politics of appeasement, the mistaken belief that moderation will calm those who break the rules,” he continues. “They believe that words cannot damage the international order as bombs do. They are wrong,” the Prime Minister added. New frigate to Cyprus Meanwhile, Margarita Robles announced this Tuesday that the Spanish frigate Méndez Núñez will relieve the Cristóbal Colón on April 7th in the defense mission to Cyprus. “As serious, responsible, and reliable allies in the collective defense of the member countries of the Alliance and Europe, the Cristóbal Colón frigate is committed to remaining in Cyprus until April 7th. On that day, it will be replaced by the Méndez Núñez frigate,” Robles announced in Congress, where she reiterated that the mission's objective is to deploy in the eastern Mediterranean to protect the French naval group and participate in the defense of “European territory” and in NATO's security and defense. “Depending on what the EU decides and what Cyprus requests, we will be there,” she assured. [caption id="attachment_140778" align="alignnone" width="750"] Photo: Congreso[/caption] During her appearance before the Joint Committee on National Security in the Congress of Deputies, the minister warned that the United States and Israel cannot decide what kind of rules should govern the world order and described the war in Iran as “illegal and unjustified.” According to Robles, the prohibition on the use of the Morón and Rota bases for all operations related to this war “does not imply any rupture of the transatlantic bond nor an abandonment of our responsibility for the deterrence and collective defense of our partners.” “Our commitment is firm, as is our commitment to helping and standing with the Spanish people,” she affirmed. UNIFIL On Tuesday, Margarita Robles announced in the halls of Congress that the deaths of three Indonesian peacekeepers serving under Spanish command within the UN mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) are being investigated. “Nothing more is known. I am in contact with them. It is being investigated. Autopsies will be performed,” she stated. Separately, Albares strongly condemned the deaths of the three Indonesian peacekeepers in Lebanon on Tuesday, following two attacks against UNIFIL in just 24 hours. She assured that the Spanish contingent in Lebanon “is doing well.” She also reported that she has no information on the possible perpetrators of the attack and demanded that the events be investigated and those responsible be held accountable. Government spokesperson Elma Saiz also expressed the Executive's "unequivocal condemnation" of the latest attack against the United Nations mission in Lebanon on Tuesday. In the press conference following the Council of Ministers meeting, she warned that such actions constitute "an unjustifiable aggression" against the international community and could constitute "a war crime," as stated by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Saiz also emphasized that the Middle East conflict is causing millions of displaced people and global economic repercussions that "directly impact sectors of our country by affecting major trade routes."

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