Portugal has authorized the U.S. military to use its air base in the Azores for military operations in Iran, but said flights originating from Lajes Field can’t bomb civilian infrastructure targets.
On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel told lawmakers in Lisbon that the U.S. has complied with Portugal’s restrictions and has been a “loyal collaborator” from the start of the conflict.
“We have an ally, which is the United States. We have an obligation of cooperation with the United States that we are fulfilling,” Mr. Rangel said.
Since Feb. 15, 76 U.S. military planes have landed at Lajes Field, while 25 flights have crossed through Portugal’s airspace, said Mr. Rangel, who called it “not an extraordinary number.”
“If you look at the effort mobilized in the region by the United States, Israel, and also the Gulf States, this represents something insignificant compared to the war effort being waged there,” he said, according to the Portuguese newspaper Expresso.
Portugal appears to be attempting a high-stakes balancing act between Spain’s outright ban on supporting the U.S. effort and Britain’s more permissive stance. Prime Minister Luis Montenegro’s government wants to honor Portugal’s 80-year alliance with the U.S. while shielding itself from domestic political backlash.
The Lajes Air Base is a massive military installation on Terceira Island in the Azores archipelago. The Portuguese Air Force and the U.S. Air Force’s 65th Air Base Group operate side-by-side there.
Sitting 900-1,000 miles west of mainland Portugal and almost exactly halfway between the U.S. East Coast and Europe, the Azores are essentially an unsinkable aircraft carrier in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
They are the primary refueling spot for military aircraft flying over the Atlantic between Europe and North America. The U.S. has operated there since the middle of World War II, before NATO was even founded.
Despite Lisbon’s decision to allow partial use of the base for U.S. military flights, Mr. Rangel said the government is neither participating in nor supporting Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-led coalition with Israel to destroy Iran’s ballistic missiles, sink its navy, and eliminate any opportunity for Tehran to possess a nuclear weapon.
“We do not support, we do not endorse, and we do not participate in the military intervention,” Mr. Rangel said. “Portugal is against attacking any civilian infrastructure, and it is against any escalation, whether rhetorical or actual. We are in favor of a diplomatic solution.”
Portugal’s top diplomat said his country’s position on the use of the Azores base is comparable to that of European and NATO partners.
“When I say, ’aligned,’ it is truly aligned because it was discussed with them,” Mr. Rangel said, according to Expresso.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow chokepoint that connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, has become the primary “front line” of the maritime battle with Iran.
Mr. Rangel said Portugal is part of a group of nations seeking a diplomatic solution to Iran’s effective blockade of the critical waterway through which 20-30% of the world’s total oil consumption passes every day.
“Our commitment is obviously diplomatic. We are available to align ourselves with economic pressure, and therefore, all types of countermeasures that can be taken diplomatically to pressure Iran,” Mr. Rangel said, according to Expresso. “Once the conflict ends, guaranteeing freedom of navigation is absolutely essential.”
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.