Spain Rejects Iran Strike Support, Tensions Rise

0:00On March 2nd, here's the latest in global news. 15 U.S. aircraft have departed for military bases in southern Spain since the U.S. and Israel carried out strikes on Iran over the weekend. Flight tracking data shows these planes left-road enabled base and more on airbase, mostly heading toward Europe. Spain's Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares, made it clear that the country will not allow its bases jointly run with the U.S. but under Spanish, control to support attacks on Iran. Spain has strongly condemned those actions and says any use must stick to existing agreements and United Nations rules. At least seven of the planes landed at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. These were mainly aerial refueling tankers by the Boeing KC-135 Stradotankers which had been based in Spain long-term. Others flew toward southern France. Spain's Socialist Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, has been vocal in opposing the strikes, including the country at odds with some allies.

1:00Meanwhile, Britain first said no to using its bases, but later approved them for what Prime Minister Kierstarmor called collective self-defense. This firm stands for Madrid, could add tension to ties with Washington, highlighting Spain as an outlier in the region on this issue. Officials continue to monitor the situation closely. This story is made possible by our sponsor, see the episode description. If sleep podcasts are your thing, this is your pillow. For comfort and calm, S-O-L-I, solypillo.com