The two nations of the Iberian Peninsula are taking opposite sides on the conflict between Iran’s terrorist regime on the one hand and the U.S., Israel, and multiple Gulf states on the other.
While the Spanish government earned itself the dishonor of being the only European government explicitly and harshly to condemn Operation Epic Fury against the terror-sponsoring, mass murdering Iranian regime, the Portuguese government is reportedly stepping up to provide the United States the base of operations that Spain should have given.
The translation of the post below is, “Portugal has just officially authorized the United States to use the strategic Lajes base (Azores) in the conflict with Iran.”
🚨 ÚLTIMA HORA | Portugal acaba de autorizar oficialmente a Estados Unidos el uso de la base estratégica de Lajes (Azores) en el conflicto con Irán.pic.twitter.com/Upu9bnxB0Z
— Enséñame de Ciencia (@EnsedeCiencia) March 3, 2026
Algarve Daily News reported further:
[Foreign Minister Paulo] Rangel drew a clear distinction between the pre-established agreement prior to US military action that took place over the weekend, and the required authorisation given after action had begun. “I am astonished by the controversy that has been fuelled [sic]...” he added.
The situation changed, he explained, once the United States communicated that an intervention had taken place. From that point, the conditions of a bilateral agreement governing the Lajes base came into question, and the Portuguese government decided to issue a conditional authorisation for any potential use of the facility.
That authorisation is subject to three criteria: that the base be used solely in response to an attack (retaliation or defence), that any action comply with the principles of necessity and proportionality, and that it be limited strictly to military targets. According to the minister, all criteria were met.
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As someone whose grandfather immigrated from Portugal and who really loved my visit to that country, I was happy to see that despite having many woke officials in its government, Portugal made the right decision in this instance, one that stands out from multiple other European governments’ whining. While Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was the most explicitly condemnatory, and forbade use of joint bases for the operation, Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman, French President Emmanuel Macron, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and the Slovenian government all more or less criticized the United States and Israel, according to Politico.
This conflict is creating strange alliances, some of them, of course, temporary (as, for instance, Qatar fighting on the same side as Israel), but others illuminating whom we simply cannot trust. Naturally we had a strong suspicion that none of the European powers would provide the merest backing in a war with Islamic jihadis, but now that suspicion is pretty effectively confirmed -- with a few exceptions.
Related: Trump Denies Israel ‘Forced His Hand,’ Says Imminent Iranian Attack Spurred His Decision
Speaking of false friends, the Trump administration should not trust the Turkish government (or the terrorist group running Syria). Turkish dictator Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed his deep sorrow after Israel and the U.S. eliminated Khamenei. "I was saddened to learn of the passing of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as a result of the attacks that took place yesterday," Erdoğan posted on X, per a Grok translation. “I extend my condolences to the esteemed Khamenei, praying that the Almighty Allah grants him mercy, and offer my sympathies to the brotherly people of Iran; I convey my condolences on behalf of my country and my nation.” Ironically, soon afterwards Erdoğan pretended to express support for eradicating terrorism, even though Khamenei was literally the worst sponsor of terrorism in the world.
The Trump administration should profit from the lessons of this conflict and note the fair-weather friends like Erdoğan who only pretend to support the USA when they think they stand to benefit in the short-term, though they will always side against America in the long-term.
