World News

Rubio visits Portugal amid scrutiny over U.S. military base access

Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended defense spending pressure while Portugal reviews base use for Iran operations

Updated Oct 9, 2026 · 00:04 UTC2 reports

The short version

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio concluded a three-nation European tour in Lisbon, meeting with Portuguese officials to discuss defense spending and military cooperation.[ABC News · Associated Press]
Portugal granted conditional approval for the U.S. military to use Lajes Field in the Azores for operations related to the Iran war, contrasting with Spain's refusal.[ABC News · Associated Press]
Portugal's attorney general is reviewing whether the air base access complied with domestic law following an opposition party complaint.[ABC News · Associated Press]
Rubio stated that Washington's demands for allies to increase military budgets are not hostile, as Portugal aims to raise spending toward 3% of GDP.[Associated Press]

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio completed a three-nation NATO trip to Iceland, Greece, and Portugal.[ABC News · Associated Press]
Portugal granted Washington conditional authorization to utilize Lajes Field air base in the Azores to support military operations regarding Iran.[ABC News · Associated Press]
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez refused to allow the American military to use Spanish bases for attacks targeting Iran.[ABC News · Associated Press]
Portugal currently allocates slightly over 2% of GDP to defense and targets about 3%, remaining below the 5% goal sought by Donald Trump.[Associated Press]
Rubio asserted that American pressure on NATO members to elevate defense spending is not hostile.[Associated Press]

The legal outcome of the Portuguese attorney general's review into the lawful use of Lajes Field remains undetermined.[ABC News · Associated Press]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.