Spain rejects US base use for Iran strikes: ‘Absolutely none’

(TNND) — The Spanish government on Monday denied allowing the U.S. to use its military bases for attacks on Iran, saying the facilities must “operate within the framework of international law.”

Defense Minister Margarita Robles said during a press conference at the Armilla Air Base that “no assistance of any kind, absolutely none,” had been provided from the Rota and Morón bases in southern Spain.

“There is a deal with the U.S. over these bases, but our understanding of the deal is that operations have to comply with international legal frameworks and that there has to be international support for them,” Robles said. The U.S. and Israel were acting “unilaterally without the support of an international resolution,” she added.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also condemned the attack on Iran and called for “immediate de-escalation and full respect for international law.”

The Rota and Morón bases have been used by U.S. forces since the 1950s under bilateral defense agreements, but Spain retains sovereign control over how and when they are used.

Meanwhile, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended his decision to allow the U.S. to use British bases to launch defensive strikes against Iran. He said Britain had to support its allies in the region and protect British citizens at risk from what he described as indiscriminate Iranian attacks.

Starmer said the U.K. had learned from the “mistakes of Iraq” and was not involved in the initial strikes on Iran and “will not join offensive action now.”

Joint U.S.-Israeli strikes began early Saturday under Operation Epic Fury after Iran ignored warnings to halt efforts to rebuild its nuclear program and continued expanding its ballistic missile capabilities, according to President Donald Trump.

The strikes caused widespread damage and casualties, including the confirmed death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks against U.S., Israeli, and allied positions across the region. Iran-backed groups such as Hezbollah launched additional missile attacks into Israel.

The conflict has since expanded across at least nine countries in the Middle East, including strikes on energy facilities, ports, and military bases such as a British installation in Cyprus.

Over 500 people in Iran have been reported killed by the Red Crescent, including civilians and military personnel in multiple cities. The U.S. military confirmed that a fourth American service member died after being critically wounded during Iran’s initial response.

In his first public remarks on Monday, Trump said U.S. forces were ahead of schedule in meeting operational goals. Military planners had initially projected the campaign would last four to five weeks.

Elsewhere in the region, Qatar — home to a key U.S. military base — said its air force shot down two Iranian Sukhoi Su-24 bombers.

The United Arab Emirates said it intercepted nine ballistic missiles, six cruise missiles, and 148 drones on Monday. The Defense Ministry said it has repelled hundreds of Iranian drones and missiles since the attacks began Saturday in response to U.S.-Israeli bombardment.

No fatalities were reported Monday in the UAE, though three people were killed in Iranian attacks there on Sunday.