Portuguese prosecutors review US permission to use Lajes base — Jerusalem Post

Portugal’s Prosecutor General’s Office has begun reviewing the legality of permission granted to the United States to use Lajes Air Base in the Azores during operations related to the conflict with Iran. The review was opened following a complaint by representatives of the opposition Left Bloc party, the Jerusalem Post reports.

Unlike neighboring Spain, Portuguese authorities allowed several US transit flights through Lajes Air Base. The decision drew criticism from left-wing opposition parties and sparked a political debate over Lisbon’s role in operations related to the conflict.

Terms of the agreement with the United States

A bilateral agreement between Portugal and the United States allows Washington to use the base without prior permission in peacetime. However, after hostilities begin, Portugal’s approval is required for its use.

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In April, the Left Bloc appealed to the Prosecutor General’s Office, demanding an investigation into US use of the base and calling it a gross violation of international law. The Prosecutor General’s Office did not provide further details of the review, while Portugal’s Foreign Ministry declined to comment.

Government position

Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel stated that Portugal is not participating in the conflict and that the permission to use Lajes complied with international law. According to him, it was granted only after assurances from Washington that the operations would be defensive, necessary and proportionate in nature and limited to military targets.

Lajes Air Base is located in Portugal’s Azores islands in the Atlantic Ocean. It is a strategic transit point for US forces under the 1951 defense treaty and hosts the US Air Force’s 65th Air Base Group, which supports US, NATO and allied operations.