Portuguese Prosecutors Probe US Use of Lajes Air Base

The Prosecutor General's Office of Portugal opened a probe on Saturday into whether the center-right government legally authorized the United States military to use the Lajes Air Base in the Azores during a conflict with Iran.

The investigation follows a complaint filed in April by the Left Bloc opposition party, which characterized the authorization as a "gross violation of international law." Under a 1951 bilateral defense treaty, the US may use the base during peacetime without prior approval, but Portuguese authorization is required once hostilities begin.

Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel defended the government's decision, asserting that Portugal remained uninvolved in the conflict. Rangel stated that the authorization was granted based on US assurances that operations would be defensive, proportionate, and limited to military targets. The Lajes base serves as a strategic transit hub for the US Air Force, NATO, and allied operations.