US tankers depart Spain after bases prohibited from being used for Iran strikes

At least 15 US military aircraft have departed two American-operated bases in southern Spain after Spain said the facilities cannot be used to support attacks on Iran.  

Reuters cited maps from flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 showing the aircraft leaving Naval Station Rota and Morón Air Base, which are jointly operated by the United States and Spain but remain under Spanish sovereignty. Reuters reported that at least seven of the aircraft appeared to have landed at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.  

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said Spain would not allow its bases to be used for attacks on Iran and said any use must align with the UN Charter and Spain’s agreement with the United States, according to Reuters.   “Spanish bases are not being used for this operation, and they will not be used for anything not included in the agreement with the United States or for anything that is not in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations,” Albares said, Reuters reported.  

The aircraft involved were primarily aerial refueling tankers, including the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker. FlightRadar24 showed nine tankers departing Morón on March 1, 2026, toward Germany. Reuters also reported that two flights departed from Rota toward southern France and four other flights departed Rota with routes not shown in the tracking data. 

Spain’s position contrasts with that of many other nations. Britain initially refused to allow the use of its bases for an attack on Iran, but Prime Minister Keir Starmer later authorized their use under what Reuters described as collective self-defense.  

The Guardian reported Spain’s government denied Washington permission to use Rota and Morón for strikes on Iran and said Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the US and Israeli action as dangerous and inconsistent with international law.  

Spain’s Defense Minister Margarita Robles said the US aircraft were permanently stationed in Spain, an indication that the movements reflected operational repositioning rather than the removal of a temporary strike package.  The post US tankers depart Spain after bases prohibited from being used for Iran strikes appeared first on AeroTime.

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