Spain bans U.S. warplanes linked to the conflict with Iran from using its airspace on Monday, despite threats from President Trump.
Madrid already denied the United States access to military bases in southern Spain. Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles stated that the restriction had been communicated to the U.S. military “from the very beginning.” It applied to both the bases and Spanish airspace for any actions related to the war.
This move represented another public split between Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government and the Trump administration over the fighting in the Middle East. Robles told reporters that “neither the bases are authorized, nor, of course, is the use of Spanish airspace authorized for any actions related to the war in Iran,” as reported by The Associated Press.
Spain had already blocked the use of the Rota and Morón military bases, which are jointly operated with the United States. Sánchez has called the military actions involving the U.S. and Israel illegal, reckless, and unjust. On Monday, Robles reaffirmed Madrid’s position, describing the war in Iran as “profoundly illegal and profoundly unjust.”
Spain’s leftist government has closed Spanish airspace to U.S. planes carrying out missions against Iran, in addition to denying Washington use of its bases, the defense minister said Monday. https://t.co/2TMVQTI6iQ pic.twitter.com/be4yNWqzDE
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 30, 2026
The Sánchez government has become one of the strongest critics in Europe against U.S. and Israeli military actions in the Middle East. Sánchez has urged the United States, Israel, and Iran to stop the war. Earlier this month, he said, “You cannot respond to one illegality with another, because that’s how humanity’s great disasters begin.”
This latest clash has increased tensions between Madrid’s leftist government and Washington regarding defense and trade. After Spain denied the U.S. access to the Rota and Morón bases, President Donald Trump threatened to cut trade with Spain, according to AP. The dispute followed earlier tensions over NATO spending, after Sánchez stated that Spain would not match the increase supported by other alliance members under pressure from Trump.
AP reported that Spain maintained it could still meet its military obligations by spending 2.1% of its gross domestic product on defense, instead of the 5% target agreed upon by other members of the 32-country alliance. This disagreement had already put Sánchez at odds with Trump before the latest conflict over Iran.
Spain’s position on Iran aligns with Sánchez’s previous criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza, which AP noted has repeatedly faced pushback from the Israeli government. This history has set Spain apart from several European allies that have taken a less confrontational approach toward Washington and Israel during the ongoing regional conflicts.
🚨 BREAKING:
Trump: Upset Spain didn’t support the war.
Sánchez:
“Spain will not take decisions to please the American President.”
Trump: Why didn’t you support us?
Spain: We don’t answer to you. pic.twitter.com/fIyJ86EF4I
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) March 26, 2026
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer took Trump’s insults in stride and joined the war efforts in what he described as “defensive actions” to protect British lives and regional bases.
Monday’s decision means Spain is now blocking two key forms of U.S. military access, base operations and overflight rights, in relation to the Iran war. While this step does not sever military ties between the NATO allies, it indicates how far Sánchez’s government is willing to distance itself from U.S. policies in the Middle East, which does not appear to have a realistic end date.
Trump did not inform his NATO allies about his plans to attack Iran and threatened to invade Greenland before the conflict, which could have left his relationship with his European allies on shaky ground at best.
