LISBON, March 4 (Reuters) - Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro defended his decision to let the United States use the Lajes airbase on Portugal’s Azores Islands during the Iran bombing campaign, a position at odds with that of neighbour Spain which refused such requests.
A longstanding agreement with the United States allows Washington to use the base without prior authorisation during peacetime, but required Portugal to give approval once hostilities began.
Montenegro told parliament on Wednesday that U.S. use of the base was in compliance both with Portuguese law and agreements with the United States. Authorisation was granted for defensive purposes, based on necessity and against military targets, following international law, he said.
“Portugal objectively has a close relationship with our ally, the United States,” Montenegro told lawmakers.
“Iran repeatedly violated international norms with its nuclear ambitions and long-range missile capabilities,” he said, describing Tehran as a state sponsor of international terrorism.
Portugal’s stance starkly contrasted with that of Spain, which angered President Donald Trump by refusing permission to use its bases. Montenegro did not directly address the difference in policy between the neighbours but noted that Portugal was a founding member of the NATO alliance in 1949, whereas Spain joined only in 1982.
He said the government believed diplomacy must be the priority, but since the start of the conflict, Iran had attacked other countries that had not previously engaged in any hostilities.
The government will also implement an “extraordinary and temporary” reduction of the tax on petroleum and energy products to offset any fuel price increase above 0.10 euros ($0.12) of this week’s price due to the conflict, he added.
($1 = 0.8595 euros)
(Reporting by Sergio Goncalves; Writing by Paolo Laudani; Editing by Charlie Devereux, David Latona and Peter Graff)
