MADRID, March 31 (Xinhua) -- Spain's Defense Minister Margarita Robles said on Tuesday that the United States and Israel "cannot be the ones who decide what rules apply in the world," defending Madrid's refusal to support their military operations against Iran.
Speaking in parliament, Robles reiterated the Spanish government's opposition to what it has described as a war "outside the framework of international law," stressing that Spain's response has been "firm and consistent."
"We cannot accept that two countries have decided to drag the world into their war," she said, in remarks that underscored Spain's criticism of what it views as unilateral action by the United States and Israel.
Robles emphasized that Spain remains fully committed to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and to multilateralism, rejecting suggestions that its stance signals a shift away from alliance obligations.
Robles said Spain has a "firm and unequivocal commitment to peace" and added that "we do not accept lessons from anyone."
Her comments came a day after Spain's First Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo confirmed that Spain had closed its airspace to U.S. military aircraft involved in operations against Iran, which started on Feb. 28 and has moved into their fifth week.
The restriction applies exclusively to aircraft participating in the conflict and does not affect commercial traffic. Spanish authorities have also denied authorization for the use of military bases at Rota and Moron de la Frontera for such operations, although both facilities continue to function normally under existing agreements. ■