Spain has continued to be a leading EU nation in ramping up the diplomatic pressure on Israel, and seeking to isolate it. It’s government this week has moved to prohibit US military planes and ships from using its territory to transfer weapons and equipment to Israel.

As reported by leading newspaper El País on Monday, the new decision applies specifically to the Rota naval base and the Morón air base, both located in the southwestern part of the country – long used as key Mediterranean region transfer hubs.

There has long existed routine coordination between Spanish and American military officials, however, the relationship is becoming increasingly tense, given the move reflects a serious political divergence amid the ongoing war in Gaza.

The Rota base, near Cádiz on the Atlantic coast, is under Spanish control but heavily utilized by American forces. Also, the Morón air base, which is near Seville, is a key hub for US military operations, with American forces long operating with a broad degree of freedom there.

Madrid is defending its decision as rooted in Spain’s sovereignty and terms outlined in a 1988 bilateral defense agreement, amid growing European scrutiny of Israeli military action against Palestinians, which currently is largely focused on the complete military takeover of Gaza City.

According to more details via The Telegraph:

Citing sources familiar with the Spanish-American committee that manages the bases in Seville and Cadiz, El Pais reported that Spain has banned supplies going directly to Israel and those with a stopover as their final destination.

“Rota and Morón are not a sieve,” sources told El Pais, which first reported the ban.

“They are Spanish sovereign bases, under the command of a Spanish military officer, and everything that happens there must be authorized by the Spanish authorities.”

These reports have made clear that as of yet Spain does not typically inspect US transport planes or ships that stop at Spanish bases – but if arms smuggling to Israel is uncovered during the ban, this could prove highly embarrassing and damaging to Madrid-Washington relations and cooperation.

Meanwhile, Spain is pressing its case against both Israel and the US through other avenues as well, with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez calling for Israel to be excluded from international sports competitions over human rights abuses and war crimes against Palestinians.

🇪🇸 Spain has extended its ban on U.S. weapons shipments to Israel, blocking planes and ships from using the Rota naval base in Cádiz and the Morón air base in Seville, El País reports. Madrid reinforced its arms embargo with a royal decree prohibiting the transit of military… pic.twitter.com/QqQr78ZZAp

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“Israel cannot continue to use any international platform to whitewash its image,” he told officials of his Socialist Workers’ Party earlier this month, describing that Israel should have the same pariah status and isolation as Russia in the wake of the Ukraine invasion.