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Spain Continues to Deny Airspace to U.S. Aircraft Involved with Operation Epic Fury

FlyMarshall NewsroomBy No Comments7 Mins Read

Spanish newspaper El País reported further on earlier news regarding Spain’s position on U.S. military action against Iran, with the country’s Prime Minister confirming all related flight plans have been rejected.

After a mass exodus of U.S. Air Force (USAF) aerial refueling aircraft from Spanish bases, frequently used by U.S. forces, in early March, it became readily apparent that Spain was refusing the diplomatic permissions necessary to allow the U.S. to use Spanish soil to support its war against Iran. 

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez told Spain’s Congress of Deputies that “We have denied the United States the use of the Rota and Morón bases for this illegal war. All flight plans involving operations in Iran have been rejected. All of them, including those for refueling aircraft.” 

Spain’s Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, confirmed the policy to reporters on Monday, Mar. 30, 2026, saying “We don’t authorize either the use of military bases ​or the use of airspace for actions related ​to the war in Iran.”

These statements appear to be confirmations of existing policy, rather than a shift. However, the fact that they have chosen now to reiterate their policy may have been intended as a deliberate signal of the Spanish government’s opposition to current U.S. policy.

Naval Air Station Rota and Morón Air Base are usually some of the busiest U.S. bases in Europe, with regular detachments of tankers, stopovers of transiting aircraft, and forward deployed maritime patrol aircraft. During the 1991 Gulf War, Morón Air Base hosted B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers, and the base has more recently been home to regular Bomber Task Force (BTF) deployments. In advance of Operation Epic Fury commencing, U.S. aircraft continued to use the two bases as massive amounts of air power were shifted towards the Middle East. 

Reportedly, before Spain’s veto, the U.S. had considered Morón as a location for forward deployed bombers during the current conflict, with Rota also able to be used for additional capacity and support movements. From Spain, the bombers would have had a relatively simple flight through the middle of the Mediterranean, able to avoid entering most of the territorial airspace along the way. 

Instead, B-52s and B-1B Lancers have been stationed at RAF Fairford in the UK. Fairford, also, is no stranger to bomber deployments and in fact has the additional support of the nearby RAF Welford ammunition facility as well as specialist hangars for the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber (though none have yet used Fairford during Operation Epic Fury). This adds many hours to each flight, with two main routings apparently in use – over France (in contrast to reports of a similar airspace veto from France), or west and over the Atlantic abeam Portugal.

As well as the bases being closed, Spain will not issue authorisation for any aircraft involved in Operation Epic Fury to enter its sovereign airspace. Flights specifically not related to ongoing operations against Iran are also still allowed, though it is unclear how Spain might differentiate this detail for certain types, like the C-17A Globemaster IIIs that travel back and forth to the Middle East daily even in peacetime.

The only exception is for aircraft experiencing an emergency, in which case Spanish airspace would be open as usual.

Spanish air traffic controllers, though, have still been in contact with U.S. aircraft flying missions against Iran – including strategic bombers. As in the case of recent controversies surrounding the use of Irish air traffic control services by U.S. aircraft, this is because air traffic control areas of responsibility frequently extend beyond a country’s sovereign borders.

Spain cannot refuse permission for U.S. aircraft to use this airspace, so engaging with them through air traffic control and ensuring their separation from regular air traffic is an important safety measure. Aircraft that have made use of Spanish air traffic control services include B-2s flying combat sorties against Iran direct from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri.

For part of the time the B-2s are in contact with Spanish controllers the bombers transit the Strait of Gibraltar. The Strait is legally protected under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as an international passage both on the water and in the air, regardless of the usual 12 nautical mile territory limit. 

Portuguese Bases

Spain’s neighbour to the west appears, at least publicly, to aligning itself more with other European nations like France, Italy, and Germany. Though shying away from any endorsement of U.S. actions, the airfield of Lajes on the Azores – a Portuguese territory – has remained open for U.S. transit flights.

This has included Air Mobility Command aircraft like the KC-46 and KC-135, which can be used both for transport and air to air refueling, as well as EA-18G Growlers, and a rare transatlantic deployment of E-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft. It is thought that these Hawkeyes are being deployed to assist with the detection of small drones that Iran has used in large numbers against U.S. forces and allies in the region, regardless of their involvement in the conflict. 

Extra AEW capability can only become more important after the notable destruction of one of the U.S. Air Force’s dwindling fleet of E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft. The jet was targeted by Iran during an attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, and images show the rear fuselage completely destroyed and the signature radome on the ground next to the aircraft.

Operation Epic Fury is now in its fifth week, and at present shows no sign of slowing down. Instead, rumours continue to swirl about the potential deployment of U.S. ground forces.

Transport aircraft movements from major U.S. Army bases, as well as the forward deployment of massive numbers of MC-130J Commando II special forces insertion and support aircraft would seem to support these rumours, though they shouldn’t be taken as confirmation that any order has yet been given other than to make preparations.


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