Paulo Rangel clarified that the use of the American base is regulated by a bilateral treaty that allows for implicit authorizations for flyovers, stopovers, or parking of aircraft. These authorizations can be granted with short notice and do not require formal notification to the Portuguese state.
“It only relates to overflight, parking, and potentially scaling of aircraft, and this has been authorized under the general terms of the agreement,” explained Rangel, adding that in recent times, the use of these authorizations has been more frequent than usual, although it is not a new practice since he took office in April 2024.
Read more about this topic: More movement in the Lajes Base: It’s not unreasonable to consider that a new US-Iran conflict is imminent
When asked about the possibility of the United States operating without Portugal’s knowledge, the minister confirmed: “Exactly, that is true. They can, for any operation, use [the facilities] without Portugal having to be informed.” According to Rangel, this procedure applies similarly to all European bases used by American forces.
Despite the legal framework that allows the US to operate without notice, Rangel emphasized that Portugal maintains a clear position in favor of diplomacy. “Portugal has systematically called for issues and differences to be resolved through peaceful means, also in the case of Iran. This has been Portugal’s position and continues to be so,” he says.
The announcement appears on a moment of growing tension in the Middle East, with Washington considering possible military actions while maintaining diplomatic negotiations with Tehran, placing Portugal in a delicate strategic position due to the use of the Lajes Base in American operations.
