DOHA/MADRID – A significant diplomatic rift has opened between Washington and Madrid as fifteen U.S. military aircraft were forced to depart from southern Spain on Monday. The move follows the Spanish government’s refusal to allow its territory to be used for the ongoing joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 confirmed that the aircraft, primarily Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling tankers, vacated the Rota and Morón airbases. These facilities are jointly operated but remain under Spanish sovereignty.
Spain Stands Firm on Sovereignty
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares addressed the departures during a broadcast on Telecinco, emphasizing that Spain would not be a staging ground for the strikes.
The Foreign Minister’s comments align with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who has condemned the weekend’s unilateral strikes on Iran as a “breach of international law,” despite Spain’s long-standing opposition to the Iranian regime.
Logistics of the Departure
According to tracking data and defense reports:
- Relocation: At least seven of the fifteen aircraft have landed at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
- Flight Paths: Nine tankers departed from Morón on Sunday heading north; two flights from Rota were traced to southern France, while four others disappeared from public tracking shortly after takeoff.
- Permanent Assets: Defense Minister Margarita Robles noted that these aircraft were part of a permanent U.S. deployment in Spain, making their sudden relocation a sharp logistical pivot for the Pentagon.
