In a recent interview on Televisión Española, Albares defended the Government's decision not to allow the use of these facilities for US military operations against Iran. The minister stressed that the bilateral agreement requires the use of the bases to comply with the principles of the United Nations Charter, which, in his view, was not met by Washington's “unilateral” action.

The Foreign Minister categorically denied that Spain's refusal had created diplomatic tensions with the United States. Furthermore, he stated that there are no ongoing discussions about a potential withdrawal of US forces from the bases in Morón de la Frontera and Rota, indicating that “at this moment, it is not an issue being raised by either party.”

Albares explained that by denying the use of the facilities, Spain exercised its “sovereign power,” making it clear that the country “will neither participate nor do anything that promotes, escalates, or allows the continuation of a war for which we see no objective and which is having very serious consequences for the global economy and for the pockets of Spaniards.”

This same reasoning led the Spanish Government to decline an invitation to a meeting organized by the United Kingdom last Thursday, which brought together 40 countries to address the unblocking of the Strait of Hormuz. Spain chose not to join initiatives that could discuss interventions escalating the conflict.

Regarding mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran, Albares expressed pessimism, describing current contacts as “preliminary” and lacking a “real possibility of establishing effective mediation.” He emphasized the need for both parties' involvement to achieve de-escalation and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning that “everything indicates that the war on all its fronts will continue” in the short term.