In Portugal, the role played by the Lajes Air Base, located within the Azores archipelago, in the American offensive in Iran is at the heart of concerns. On Wednesday, March 4, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro was pressed to speak before Parliament. He confirmed that his government had authorized the United States to use the facility as part of operations targeting Iran, but in a “conditional” manner. The authorization was thus limited to operations “of an offensive or retaliatory nature,” “necessary and proportionate,” and targeting “exclusively military objectives.”
Describing conditions “aligned with international law,” Luis Montenegro added: “Portugal did not follow, did not subscribe to, and was not involved in this military action.”
Nestled on the island of Terceira, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, Lajes Air Base began to be used by the Allies towards the end of World War II. An agreement governing its use by the United States was signed in 1951. Fifteen US Air Force refueling aircraft were stationed there at the end of February, just before the start of Israeli-American strikes on Iran. Its use by the American military is regularly called into question. Expresso reports that around twenty ha
