European Allies Are Denying the U.S. Access to Bases and Airspace One After Another for the War With Iran

Since the start of the joint U.S.-Israeli operation on February 28, the United Kingdom has repeatedly come under criticism from Donald Trump—the president has on several occasions publicly reproached Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the line he chose in relation to the conflict.

In late February, Starmer rejected Washington’s request to use British bases for preventive strikes on Tehran, citing the risk of violating international law. The decision irritated Trump, who used the episode to once again attack London’s agreement with Mauritius over the Chagos Islands.

“This is not Winston Churchill we are dealing with,” Trump remarked to reporters at the White House a few days later.

After Iran began its retaliatory campaign, London’s position shifted. On March 1, Starmer authorized the use of RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia bases in the Chagos archipelago for “defensive” strikes as part of the American operation.

That step, however, did not ease tensions. Trump rejected Britain’s offer to send two aircraft carriers to the region in the opening days of the conflict.

“It’s all right, Prime Minister Starmer, we do not need them anymore—but we will remember. We do not need those who join wars after we have already won!” he wrote on Truth Social on March 7.

On March 20, a decision was made to expand U.S. authorization to use British military bases for strikes on Iranian missile positions that had been used to attack vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, amid an escalation of attacks on ships as well as on the region’s oil and gas infrastructure.

Downing Street then stressed that the United Kingdom was “working closely” with international partners on a plan to protect commercial shipping from “reckless” Iranian strikes, while at the same time reaffirming that its broader position remained unchanged.

“The United Kingdom remains committed to protecting our citizens, our interests, and our allies, while acting in accordance with international law and without being drawn into a wider conflict,” the statement said.

In recent weeks, London has strengthened its military presence in the region as Iran stepped up air attacks on the interests of the United States, Israel, and European countries in the Middle East.

As the BBC reported on Tuesday, additional British troops and air-defense systems are being sent to the region, where they will join Typhoon fighter jets already stationed in Qatar.

The deterioration in relations between the United States and the United Kingdom could affect the upcoming visit by King Charles III and Queen Camilla, scheduled for late April to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States.

From the outset of the conflict, France has pressed for a diplomatic solution—together with the United Kingdom and Germany, it urged the United States to enter talks with Iran on the very day the joint military operation began.

President Emmanuel Macron condemned the initial strikes, in which former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed, saying they had been carried out “outside the bounds of international law,” while at the same time placing responsibility for the regional escalation on Tehran.

At the same time, he has consistently stressed that Paris will not be drawn into combat operations. On March 17, Macron said France would “never take part” in operations aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

The following day, he called for a moratorium on U.S. and Israeli strikes on energy and water infrastructure.

On Tuesday, France came under direct criticism from Trump—the president called the country “very useless” after reports that Paris would not allow aircraft bound for Israel to use its airspace. According to Reuters sources, Israel had hoped to use French airspace to deliver American weapons intended for the war.

“The United States will remember this!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Italy, according to local media reports, also refused to grant the United States permission to land military aircraft at a base in Sicily before their deployment to the Middle East.

As Corriere della Sera reported on Tuesday, “several American bombers” had planned to land at Sigonella Air Base on their way to the region earlier this week, but were denied permission—Washington did not submit a formal request or coordinate the move with Italy’s military leadership.

A statement from the office of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stressed that Italy is acting in full accordance with international agreements and the line approved by both the government and parliament.

The authorities said that all such requests are considered “on a case-by-case basis,” adding that there are “no problems or frictions with international partners,” and that relations with the United States remain “strong and grounded in full and loyal cooperation.”

Defense Minister Guido Crosetto on Tuesday dismissed suggestions of disagreements with Washington, calling the reports “simply false, because the bases are functioning, they are being used, and nothing has changed.”

According to him, both sides are aware of the provisions of the 1954 collective defense treaty, which requires parliamentary approval for the use of Italian air bases in combat operations.

“International agreements clearly define and distinguish what requires specific government authorization—and in such cases it has been decided that parliament must always be involved, without which consent cannot be given—and what is considered technically permitted because it is already provided for under existing agreements,” Crosetto added. “The minister’s task is simply to ensure that they are observed. There is no third option.”

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has perhaps emerged as the most consistent critic of the conflict with Iran, repeatedly warning of possible human losses and economic consequences as the strikes have intensified.

“We must learn the lessons of history—we cannot play Russian roulette with the fate of millions of people,” Sánchez said on March 4, according to a transcript from the Secretariat of State for Communication.

“The parties involved in this conflict must immediately cease hostilities and choose the path of dialogue and diplomacy. And the rest must act consistently, defending the same values we uphold when we speak about Ukraine, Gaza, Venezuela, or Greenland.”

The level of coordination between the United States and Spain became a matter of dispute in the very first weeks of the war.

Earlier this month, Trump threatened to “completely end trade” with Madrid after the Spanish government blocked the use of joint military bases for strikes on Tehran that did not fall under the provisions of the UN Charter.

Later, the White House claimed that Spain had changed its position under pressure from Washington, but Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares “categorically” denied it.

“The position of the Spanish government on the war in the Middle East, the bombing of Iran, and the use of our bases has not changed one iota,” Albares said on Cadena SER on March 4.

Spain also closed its airspace to American aircraft involved in the military operation, judging the current campaign to be in breach of international law.

Since the beginning of the month, the United States has relocated 15 aircraft from the Rota and Morón bases in the south of the country.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier described the ongoing conflict as a “catastrophic mistake” in remarks at the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, and criticized the Trump administration’s rationale.

“There is little doubt that the justification of an imminent attack on the United States does not stand up to scrutiny,” Steinmeier said, as quoted by Politico.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also voiced concern over the U.S.-Israeli operation, questioning both the reasons for the war and the absence of a clear exit strategy.

“So far, there is no convincing plan showing how this operation can end successfully,” Merz said on March 18 in remarks to German lawmakers, according to Reuters.

“Washington did not consult us and did not say that European assistance was needed. Our advice would have been not to go down the path they are now taking.”

Trump had earlier spoken more cautiously about Germany, saying at a meeting with Merz on March 3 that the country’s response “was excellent.”

Since then, Berlin has rejected calls to send naval vessels to the Middle East to help secure safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Irish government has tried to strike a balance between criticizing the war and preserving its policy of neutrality, while also emphasizing the economic instability caused by the conflict in the Middle East.

Ahead of his meeting with Trump at the White House on St. Patrick’s Day, Prime Minister Micheál Martin said Ireland would not take part in U.S. efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz because it does not possess offensive military capabilities.

He again stressed that Dublin favors a “peaceful resolution” to the conflict, adding that “it works both ways,” and accused Iran of heightening tensions, The Independent reported.

In July, Ireland is set to assume a more prominent role in European politics when it takes over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union—one of the bloc’s key decision-making bodies.