Spain closes airspace to US planes involved in attacks on Iran

Spain has closed its airspace to US planes involved in attacks on Iran, a step beyond its previous denial of use of jointly-operated military bases. Defence minister Margarita Robles said today: 'We don't authorise either the use of military bases or the use of airspace for actions related to the war in Iran'. The closure of the airspace forces military planes to bypass NATO member Spain en route to their targets in the Middle East, but it does not include emergency situations, El Pais reported. The move risks further alienating US president Donald Trump , who has threatened to cut trade with Spain for denying the US' use of Spain's bases during the Middle East war.

'This decision is part of the decision already made by the Spanish government not to participate in or contribute to a war which was initiated unilaterally and against international law,' economy minister Carlos Cuerpo said, when asked if the decision to close Spain's airspace could worsen relations with the United States. Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez has been one of the most vocal opponents of the US and Israeli attacks on Iran, describing them as reckless and illegal. It comes as Tehran has promised to set American soldiers on fire should the US President order a ground invasion of the country, after the Pentagon drew up plans for potential raids on Kharg Island - the Islamic Republic's main oil export hub - and attacks on coastal sites near the Strait of Hormuz.

In an interview with the Financial Times , Trump said his 'preference would be to take the oil', comparing the potential operation to Venezuela where Washington intends to control the oil industry 'indefinitely' following its seizure of strongman leader Nicolás Maduro in January. His comments came as the US-Israeli war on Iran stretched into its fifth week, deepening the crisis in the Middle East with the price of oil soaring more than 50 per cent in a month. On Monday morning, Brent crude rose above $116 a barrel in Asia , near its highest level since the conflict began on February 28.

'To be honest with you, my favourite thing is to take the oil in Iran but some stupid people back in the US say: "Why are you doing that?" But they’re stupid people,' Trump said. Such a move would involve raiding Kharg Island, the 'crown jewel' of the regime where 90 per cent of its oil is loaded on to tankers. The arrival of 2,500 Marines and another 2,500 sailors is keeping the number of US soldiers in the Mideast region at over 50,000, while last week the Pentagon also ordered about 2,000 soldiers from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to the region in order to give Trump additional military options.

The US President has previously promised he was 'not putting troops anywhere' amid apparent divisions in his Maga base over foreign military engagements and the need for congressional approval. Moreover, an attack on the five-mile-long Kharg Island - located 15 miles from the Iranian coast in the Strait of Hormuz - would be risky, raising the chances of more US casualties and prolonging the cost and duration of the conflict. 'Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,' Trump told the FT, adding: 'It would also mean we had to be there [in Kharg Island] for a while.' When about the state of Iranian defence on the territory, he said: 'I don’t think they have any defence. We could take it very easily.'

But reports indicate Tehran has been laying traps on the island, such as anti-personnel and anti-armour mines, including on the shoreline where US troops could possibly stage an amphibious landing if Trump gives the order. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Islamic Republic’s parliament who is believed to be a key figure in talks, said: 'The enemy openly sends a message of negotiation and dialogue and secretly plans a ground attack, unaware that our men are waiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional partners forever.

'Our firing continues. Our missiles are in place. Our determination and faith have increased. We are aware of the weaknesses of the enemy, and we can clearly see the effects of terror in the enemy’s army.' The war has escalated in recent days, with a strike on an air base in Saudi Arabia on Friday wounding 12 American soldiers and damaging a $270mn US E-3 Sentry surveillance aircraft. The Yemen-based Houthi militant group claimed responsibility for an attack on Israel on Saturday, marking the Iran-backed group's entry into the deepening crisis.