Marcelo says Portugal had no knowledge of attack on Iran

The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, today guaranteed harmony with the Government in matters of foreign policy and assured that Portugal had no prior knowledge of the United States attack on Iran.

“The position of the President of the Republic is very simple, it is in line with the Government, there is no foreign policy of the President and another of the Government,” stated Marcelo, in response to journalists in Luanda, questioned about Iran's request for explanations from Portugal regarding the use of the Lajes Base.

Stressing that Portugal had no prior knowledge of this weekend's attack and that the use of the Lajes Base by the United States was the result of a “normal” request within the scope of a bilateral agreement, Marcelo stressed that Portugal maintains a position of “restraint” and is betting on the “diplomatic route” in the face of the escalation between Israel and Iran.

“We are in line with the position of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, of several European leaders, notably the President of the European Council: first, concern about the gravity of the situation; second, an appeal for restraint from all stakeholders; third, that diplomatic channels be reopened,” he summed up.

The President of the Republic explained that he was informed by the Executive about the US request to station refueling aircraft at the Azores base, but assured that there was no indication of offensive use.

“This request was made by the United States to remain at the base, within the framework of the 1990s agreement, for refueling aircraft to supply the American fleet in the Atlantic, both naval and air. It is a normal, well-known situation and was notified to the Government, which informed the President. There was nothing in the notification that indicated an attack,” he assured.

Speaking to Rádio Renascença, the Iranian Ambassador in Lisbon said he would question the Portuguese government about Portuguese neutrality and the US use of the military base in the Azores. “If someone participates in any war, for any reason, they are part of that aggression,” the Iranian diplomat stressed.

Marcelo downplayed the risk of Portugal being dragged into the conflict, stating that “Portugal respects the principles of the United Nations” and “favors the diplomatic route for lasting solutions, not for apparent or episodic solutions.”

The Portuguese government confirmed on Sunday that it had authorized 12 US tanker aircraft to use Lajes Air Base in the Azores, as part of a cooperation agreement dating back to the 1990s. According to the Ministry of Defense, this is a standard procedure, with notifications normally made 72 hours in advance, and that the aircraft are for logistical support only, with no offensive purposes.

Asked about the increase in military spending to meet NATO targets, Marcelo said that the “budget is very flexible” and that Portugal “has room” to accommodate an increase to 2% of GDP.

“In addition, the European Union is discussing the allocation of unused RRP funds to other social or security purposes. Therefore, everything indicates that it is possible to comply,” he reinforced.

Regarding the European objective of increasing expenditure to 5% by 2032 or 2035, Marcelo stressed that the topic will still be discussed at the next NATO summit and recalled that these goals could be reassessed depending on the evolution of the economic and political context.

“There is a proposal for re-weighting along the way,” he highlighted.

The President, who made a stopover in Luanda and continues his journey to Maputo on Tuesday to participate in the celebration of Mozambique's 50th anniversary of Independence, assured that, as in relation to Ukraine, Portugal will continue to defend peaceful solutions.

“Naturally, I think that there is no one who does not want peace. It is natural, in human nature, to want to resolve conflicts and to want peace. What we need to do next is to know how these conflicts develop, how there are possibilities of creating space for peace. And, first of all, a ceasefire can be a first step towards peace, if it is sustainable, consistent, serious, and respects other principles”, he stressed.