Portuguese prosecutors have launched an inquiry into whether the government's authorisation of US transit flights through Lajes Air Base during the Iran conflict was lawful, following a complaint by the Left Bloc. The 1951 treaty allows US use in peacetime but requires Portuguese approval once hostilities begin. The government says it authorised flights only after Washington gave guarantees the actions would be defensive, necessary and proportionate. The probe will examine whether those assurances and approvals met legal requirements.
Portugal Opens Legal Probe Over US Use Of Lajes Air Base During Iran Conflict
FILE PHOTO: A U.S. military plane on the tarmac of Lajes air base in Terceira island, Azores, Portugal, February 21, 2026. REUTERS/Pedro Nunes/File Photo
LISBON, Oct 3 — Portuguese prosecutors have opened an investigation into whether the centre-right government's approval for the United States to use the Lajes Air Base in the Azores during the conflict with Iran complied with Portuguese and international law. The probe follows a formal complaint from the Left Bloc opposition party.
Under a long-standing 1951 bilateral defence agreement, the US may use Lajes in peacetime without prior Portuguese authorisation. However, the treaty requires Lisbon to grant explicit approval once hostilities begin, a distinction at the heart of the complaint.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. military planes on the tarmac of Lajes air base in Terceira island, Azores, Portugal, February 21, 2026. REUTERS/Pedro Nunes/File Photo
The Portuguese government authorised several US transit flights through Lajes—moves that drew criticism from left-wing parties and prompted debate about Portugal's role in operations connected to the Iran conflict. In a brief statement, the Prosecutor General's Office said the probe "was opened following a complaint filed by members of the Left Bloc party," without providing further details.
Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel has maintained that Portugal is not a participant in the conflict and that approvals for Lajes complied with international law. Rangel said the government authorised transit only after Washington provided assurances that any operations would be defensive, necessary, proportionate and limited to military targets.
FILE PHOTO: A U.S. military plane on the tarmac of Lajes air base in Terceira island, Azores, Portugal, February 21, 2026. REUTERS/Pedro Nunes/File Photo
Portuguese prosecutors are bound by the principle of legality, which generally obliges them to investigate alleged offences when there are sufficient grounds. That contrasts with jurisdictions where prosecutors may exercise broader discretion over whether to pursue a case.
The Lajes base, located on Portugal's Azores archipelago in the Atlantic, is a strategic transit hub for US forces under the 1951 treaty. It hosts the US Air Force's 65th Air Base Wing and provides logistical support for US, NATO and allied operations.
(Reporting by Sergio Goncalves; Editing by Toby Chopra)
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