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Portugal’s Prosecutor General’s Office has opened an investigation into the government’s authorisation for US forces to use Lajes Air Base in the Azores during the Iran conflict. The probe follows a complaint by Left Bloc members, but its opening is not a finding that Portugal acted unlawfully. The office has not publicly detailed the inquiry’s scope or findings.
What has Portugal’s investigation established?
Reuters reported on 3 October 2026 that the Prosecutor General’s Office opened the investigation after a complaint filed by members of the Left Bloc. Portuguese public broadcaster RTP reported that the complaint was submitted in April and asked prosecutors to examine whether use of the base complied with the law. The Prosecutor General’s Office offered no further details in the Reuters report.
The reports do not identify the legal provisions under review, evidence gathered, investigative steps, or a timetable. They also do not report a conclusion. The investigation’s existence establishes that prosecutors are examining the complaint; it does not establish either a violation or that the government has been cleared. Reuters, republished by Internazionale; RTP.
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What did the government say it authorised?
On 5 March 2026, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said the United States had made a formal request to use Lajes after the strike and Portugal granted conditional authorisation. Montenegro described the permitted operations as defensive or retaliatory, necessary and proportionate, and limited to military targets. These are the government’s account of the authorisation and its conditions, not findings made by prosecutors. XXV Constitutional Government of Portugal.
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Reuters described a longstanding agreement as allowing US use of the base without prior authorisation in peacetime, while requiring Portuguese approval once hostilities begin. That is Reuters’ summary; the agreement text itself is not reproduced in the available reporting, so the specific authorisation’s legal basis cannot be independently assessed from that description alone. Reuters, republished by Internazionale.
How does the government defend the decision?
Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel told Parliament on 2 April that US use of Lajes complied with international law if it responded to a necessary and proportionate strike and did not target civilians. He also said Portugal was not involved in the Iran conflict. The government’s position is therefore that conditional access under the described limits was compatible with international law, while Portugal itself was not a party to the conflict. That is a government legal position, not an independent ruling. XXV Constitutional Government of Portugal.
What are the complainants alleging?
According to the reporting, Left Bloc members asked the Prosecutor General’s Office to examine whether use of Lajes respected the law and alleged a serious breach of international law. The reports do not provide a publicly documented legal analysis from the complainants or a response by prosecutors explaining how the allegation will be assessed. Their complaint and the government’s defence are competing positions; neither, by itself, settles the question.
What is the political oversight context?
A parliamentary record documents a debate on 2 June 2026 about inquiries into Portugal’s involvement in the conflict and the granting of Lajes and national airspace for logistical support to US and Israeli military operations. That debate shows the issue has also been raised as a matter of political oversight, separate from the prosecutors’ investigation. Assembly of the Republic of Portugal.
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What happens next—and what remains unknown?
The reports published on 2–3 October 2026 do not say what investigative steps prosecutors will take or when they may issue an update. A firmer assessment would require information such as the inquiry’s scope, the relevant legal provisions, evidence about the authorisation and use of the base, and any official conclusion. Until such information is made public, the central legal question remains open.
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