US Secretary of State criticises Spain for vetoing use of military bases and airspace

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According to Marco Rubio, Nato loses its purpose if the US cannot use these military bases "when it needs to"

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Tuesday, 31 March 2026, 11:38

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has again criticised Spain for vetoing the use of joint military bases and airspace and "bragging" about it. Rubio believes that Spain's decision and the US's inability to use the bases "when it needs to" question the role of Nato.

"We have countries like Spain, a Nato member, that we have pledged to protect but that denies us the use of its airspace and boasts about it," Rubio stated in an interview with television network Al Jazeera on Monday. "There are other countries that have done the same. Then you ask yourself, what does the US gain?" he asked.

Rubio said that one of the reasons he supports Nato is because these bases allow the US to have "influence, flexibility and operational capability worldwide". "If Nato only serves to defend Europe when it's attacked, while they deny us access to their bases when we need them, it's not a very good agreement," he said.

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Rubio stated that the US deciding to withdraw its troops from Europe would mean "the end of Nato".

Rubio also used the opportunity to insist that Iran "should never acquire nuclear weapons", because it would use them to "blackmail" the world. "We will not allow it to happen. The risk is too great," Rubio said..

"They have to stop sponsoring terrorism. They have to stop building weapons that threaten their neighbors. These short-range missiles they are launching have only one purpose, which is to attack Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain," Rubio said.

Finally, regarding Cuba, Rubio stated that the blackouts occurring on the island "have nothing to do" with the US. "They had blackouts last year. They have blackouts because they have an infrastructure from the 1950s and a network that they have never maintained and haven't improved because they are incompetent. That's why they have blackouts," he said.