NATO is sending another Patriot missile defence unit to its Incirlik Air Base, after several ballistic missiles Ankara says were fired by Iran were downed heading towards or in Turkish airspace. The ministry announced the new missile battery during a Wednesday briefing at the Incirlik base, located near the southern city of Adana, saying it would complement national-level measures to ensure the security of our airspace and our citizens.
An amphibious helicopter carrier has been deployed in the Mediterranean to reinforce the presence of the French armed forces in the context of the Middle East crisis. A similar ship was sent off the shore of Lebanon as a precautionary measure to help with repatriations if needed during the 2024 war between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Our position has been very clear from Day 1. The facts are clear. The Spanish government is not going to authorize the use of the bases in Rota and Moron for these military actions. No single country should act as a guardian of the world. We have international rules.
Spanish bases are not being used for this operation, and they will not be used for anything not included in the agreement with the United States or for anything that is not in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said in an interview on Spanish TV on Sunday.
Spain has been terrible. In fact, I told Scott [Bessent] to cut off all dealings with Spain. Spain, first of all, it started when every European nation, at my request, paid 5%, which they should be doing and everybody was enthusiastic about it, Germany, everybody, and Spain didn't do it.
Trump said on Thursday that a US armada is heading towards the Gulf region with Iran being its focus. US officials said an aircraft carrier strike group and other assets are to arrive in the Middle East in the coming days. We're watching Iran. We have a big force going towards Iran, Trump said. And maybe we won't have to use it. We have a lot of ships going that direction.
Britain is to develop new air defence weapons alongside the EU's four biggest military powers, deepening ties with the European defence sector. The project will invite manufacturers in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Poland to submit plans to build low-cost missiles and autonomous drones. The allies are pledging a speedy process to build the weapons together, inspired by Ukraine's development of cheap drones to counter attacks from Russia.
The British government has not given permission for the US to use UK military bases to support potential US strikes on Iran, the BBC understands. The US has in the past used RAF Fairford, in Gloucestershire, and the UK overseas territory of Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean, to carry out strikes in the Middle East region. A UK government spokesperson said: "As routine, we do not comment on operational matters."
Irish political leaders are bracing themselves for the fallout from the US and Israeli strikes on Iran as widespread travel disruptions cause chaos across the Gulf and Middle East. Some airports in the region have closed indefinitely, leaving Irish tourists stranded, as well as about 14,000 Irish nationals living in the Middle East who potentially remain at risk.
The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued notices to airlines, urging them to exercise caution over Mexico and other Central American countries, as well as Ecuador and Colombia, due to military activities. On Friday, the FAA released a series of advisories that come amid an ongoing US military buildup in the Latin America region, including US military attacks on Venezuela, and US President Donald Trump's warning to Cuba and threats of strikes against drug cartels in Mexico and Colombia,
"I hope that the people of the Kingdom of Denmark do not abandon their faith in the American people," Coons said in Copenhagen, adding that the U.S. has respect for Denmark and NATO "for all we've done together."