Spain on Monday closed its airspace to U.S. planes involved in the war against Iran. Previously, the European country said the U.S. couldn’t use jointly operated military bases located in Spain during Operation Epic Fury. White House Says Spain “Agreed To Cooperate” With U.S. Military, Madrid “Categorically” Denies Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has been extremely vocal in his criticism of the U.S. and Israel for the conflict. According to the Associated Press, Defense Minister Margarita Robles said the same logic for the military bases applied to the country's airspace. "This was made perfectly clear to the American military and forces from the very beginning. Therefore, neither the bases are authorized, nor, of course, is the use of Spanish airspace authorized for any actions related to the war in Iran," Robles said, according to the outlet. Robles called the conflict "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 More from the Associated Press: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Spain’s leaders are “bragging” about cutting off its airspace, even as Washington has pledged to defend the NATO member. He said that the trans-Atlantic military alliance is useful for the U.S., because it “allows us to station troops and aircraft and weapons in parts of the world that we wouldn’t normally have bases, and that includes in much of Europe.” “But if NATO is just about us defending Europe if they’re attacked, but then denying us basing rights when we need them, that’s not a very good arrangement,” Rubio told Al Jazeera on Monday. “That’s a hard one to stay engaged in and say this is good for the United States. So all of that is going to have to be reexamined.” After Sánchez’s government denied the U.S. use of the Rota and Morón military bases in southern Spain, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to cut trade with Madrid. Washington made trade threats last year, too, when Sánchez said that his government wouldn’t increase its defense spending in accordance with a deal agreed to by other NATO members following Trump’s pressure. At the time, Sánchez’s government said that Spain could meet its military commitments by spending 2.1% of gross domestic product on defense, instead of the 5% the rest of the 32-nation military alliance agreed upon. Sánchez also has been among the most vocal critics of Israel’s actions during the war in Gaza, which has invited criticism from Israel’s government on several occasions. "Spain will not be complicit: neither in illegal aggressions, nor in lies disguised as freedom. Not this time. Not while I am president of the Government of Spain," Sánchez said earlier this month. Check it out: España no va a ser cómplice: ni de agresiones ilegales, ni de mentiras disfrazadas de libertad. No esta vez. No mientras sea presidente del Gobierno de España. pic.twitter.com/6xbsWZEbpS — Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) March 25, 2026 Newsweek noted: The White House told Newsweek on Monday the United States does not need “help from Spain or anyone else” after Madrid closed its airspace to U.S. aircraft involved in the Iran war, a move that underscores the country's opposition to U.S. and Israeli military operations in the Middle East. “The United States Military is meeting or surpassing all of its goals under Operation Epic Fury and does not need help from Spain or anyone else," the White House official said.