WANA (Mar 30) – Following Madrid’s critical stance on U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran, Spanish media report that Spain has barred American military planes and other flights linked to the conflict from entering its airspace. The decision could impose new constraints on military routes toward West Asia.

 

According to the Spanish newspaper El País, this measure would force military aircraft heading to West Asia to bypass Spain and take alternative routes—a shift that, if sustained, could alter military air traffic patterns between Europe and the region.

 

The move follows earlier steps by Madrid, which had openly opposed the war against Iran and declined to cooperate in certain operational arrangements with Washington.

 

Reports also indicate that the Spanish government previously denied the United States permission to use joint bases for strikes on Iran—a notable position for a NATO member and long-standing U.S. ally.

 

In this context, Spain’s Minister of Economy, Carlos Cuerpo, responded to questions about the potential impact on Madrid–Washington relations by emphasising that the decision aligns with the government’s established policy. He stated that Spain does not intend to participate in or support a war launched unilaterally and in violation of international law.

 

Earlier, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had also described the attacks on Iran as “illegal,” signalling Madrid’s effort to distance itself from U.S.- and Israeli-backed military actions amid rising regional tensions.

 

If sustained, Spain’s decision could be seen as one of the clearest signs of a growing divide within the Western bloc over the war with Iran—particularly given that it comes from a key member of the Western security framework, rather than a peripheral state.