A SPANISH Patriot missile battery stationed in the Middle East ‘made it possible’ for US forces to intercept a missile headed towards Turkish airspace.
Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles Fernandez confirmed that Spanish troops stationed at NATO’s Incirlik base in Turkey ‘shared information’ that resulted in the missile being shot down.
The shot was fired from a US warship in the eastern Mediterranean early on Wednesday, NATO officials said – highlighting an instance of coordination between US and Spanish forces at a time of strained relations between the two countries.
“President Trump says that Spain does not collaborate, but Spain is in Turkey with NATO,” Fernandez told Spanish outlet Hoy por Hoy. “Spain is in Iraq with NATO. Spain is in Lebanon with the UN.
“And when the EU needs us … we are always there. Always in peace missions,” she added.
Spanish troops have been garrisoned at Incirlik for 10 years, the minister confirmed. Though the battery reportedly operates a Patriot air defence system, Fernandez stressed that it was not Spain that shot down the warhead.
According to the Turkish Ministry of Defence, the missile was ‘detected to have been launched from Iran,’ though Tehran denies the claim.
READ MORE: EU leaders close ranks around Spain after Trump’s furious threat to cut trade over Iran tensions
Officials added that it flew over Iraq and Syria before heading towards Turkish airspace, with debris from the interceptor falling in Hatay, in southern Turkey near the Syrian border.
It remains unknown whether the missile was intended to land at Incirlik. If it is proven to have targeted NATO territory – and that it was launched by Iran – the incident could mark a dramatic escalation in the Middle East conflict.
Tensions between Washington and Madrid have been rising since Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he intended to suspend trade with Spain.
The threat came after Spain’s foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, said the government would not allow the US to use jointly operated bases in southern Spain for any strikes not covered by the UN Charter.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later claimed Spain had backed down from the decision – but Albares strongly rebuffed the statement, insisting the government’s stance had not changed.
“The position of the Spanish government regarding the war in the Middle East, the bombing of Iran and the use of our bases has not changed one iota,” Albares told Cadena Ser.
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