At least 15 US Air Force tanker aircraft have departed Naval Station Rota and Morón Air Base in southern Spain following Madrid’s prohibition on using the facilities for strikes against Iran. Flight-tracking data from FlightRadar24 showed nine Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers leaving Morón on March 1, 2026, headed toward Germany, with at least seven landing at Ramstein Air Base. Two flights departed Rota toward southern France, and four others left with routes not publicly tracked.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares stated, “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.” The bases, jointly operated by the US and Spain but under Spanish sovereignty, form a key logistical corridor for US operations, with tankers refueling aircraft en route from North America to the Middle East via the Azores and southern Spain.
Spain’s Defense Minister Margarita Robles noted the aircraft were permanently stationed there, indicating the movements represent operational repositioning rather than full withdrawal. This contrasts with the United Kingdom, where Prime Minister Keir Starmer authorized base use under collective self-defense, and Greece, which deployed F-16 fighters to Cyprus for regional air defense. Recent US operations included B-2 bombers supported by over 28 tankers returning west from Iran strikes, tracked via Seville Control. As of March 3, 2026, 169 tankers were positioned in CENTCOM or EUCOM areas or en route.
Earlier, six F-35A fighters departed Spain, supported by KC-46A Pegasus tankers, concluding a reinforcement phase toward the Gulf amid heightened tensions.