Spain blocks American ships carrying weapons for Israel - Anna Aronheim

 

by Anna Aronheim

The two American bases in southern Spain are officially shared by the two allies, but Washington often uses it as a hub for troops, weapons, fuel and supplies bound further east.

 

People hold anti-war placards during a protest to call for a ceasefire in Gaza to mark 100 days since the start of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Madrid, Spain, January 20, 2024.

(photo credit: REUTERS/Isabel Infantes)

American ships loaded with arms for Israel were blocked from transiting through the Rota (Cádiz) and Morón de la Frontera (Seville) bases, the Spanish El Pais newspaper reported Monday.

“Rota and Moron are not a backdoor,” a source was quoted by the paper as saying. "Rota and Morón are bases under Spanish sovereignty, under the command of a Spanish military officer, and everything that happens there must be authorized by the Spanish authorities," a source was quoted by the paper as saying.

The Spanish government, which has called Israel’s military actions a genocide, says it stopped exporting arms to Israel as of Oct.2, 2023, and has recognized a Palestinian state in May 2024. The move comes as Madrid continues to cancel arms contracts with Israeli companies.

The two American bases in southern Spain are officially shared by the two allies, but Washington often uses them as a hub for troops, weapons, fuel, and supplies bound further east. The bases were also used by 15 American KC-135 tanker aircraft during the war between Israel and Iran in June as the US flew its bombers towards Iranian targets ahead of Operation Midnight Hammer.

But, according to the 1988 Madrid-Washington military cooperation agreement regarding the base, America must obtain authorisation from the local administration to transfer “ammunition and explosives” to third countries. 

A pro-Palestinian protest is seen in Bilbao, Spain, June 4, 2025 (credit: Dor Pazuelo/Flash90)

And while Spain initially waived its right to know the final destination of the cargo and could not legally inspect them as they transferred through, it significantly limited their ability to stop the cargo. A 2011 operational amendment tightened the rules and obliged Washington to disclose flight origins, destinations, and descriptions of mission objectives and cargo. 

Article 25 of the treaty also explicitly excludes missions carrying “controversial cargo or passengers”  which require case-by-case approval by Spain.

Though Madrid is obliged to respect the bilateral defense agreement with Washington, the report noted that America is fully aware of the controversy surrounding the arms bound for Israel.

According to El Pais, six F-35 Adir fighter jets on their way to Israel from the US in March avoided stopping over at those bases, choosing instead to stop in the Azores before flying through the Strait of Gibraltar.

In September, a US State Department spokesperson said that limiting access to Spanish ports and airspace to ships and planes carrying weapons for Israel was “deeply concerning.”

“It is deeply concerning that​ Spain, a NATO member, has chosen to potentially limit US operations and to turn its back on Israel on the same day six individuals were killed in Jerusalem. These measures embolden terrorists,” the spokesperson said in an email sent to Reuters. 

Anna Aronheim

Source: https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-868993

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