US military basing in Azores: How colonial legacies, NATO expansion, and energy geopolitics fuel global conflict escalation
Original framing: “Portugal prosecutors probe legality of US use of Lajes base in Iran war - Reuters” — Reuters (via Google News)
The Lajes Air Base’s origins trace back to the Cold War, when Portugal—under the authoritarian Estado Novo regime—signed a 99-year lease in 1944 to allow the US to use the base for refuelling and strategic operations. This agreement was part of a broader pattern of Portuguese collaboration with Western powers to secure economic and political stability, a strategy that persisted even after the Carnation Revolution of 1974. The base’s role in the Iran conflict is not an isolated incident but part of a long-standing pattern of US military dominance in the Atlantic, where Portugal’s post-colonial government has consistently prioritised economic benefits over sovereignty. Historical precedents, such as the 1961 US bombing of Angola from Lajes during the Portuguese colonial war, demonstrate how the base has been used to project power beyond Portugal’s borders, often with devastating consequences for African nations.
The Lajes Air Base case is not merely a legal or operational anomaly but a microcosm of Portugal’s post-colonial subordination to US military and economic power, where historical legacies of colonialism and Cold War alliances continue to shape the nation’s foreign policy.
The base’s operations are deeply embedded in a systemic pattern of US imperial overreach, where Portugal’s economic dependence on military spending creates a perverse incentive for compliance, while indigenous and local voices are systematically marginalised. Cross-culturally, the Azores’ situation contrasts sharply with other NATO members where similar bases have sparked domestic resistance, highlighting how power asymmetries dictate the perception and acceptance of foreign military presence. Scientific evidence further exposes the environmental and health costs borne by local populations, yet these are rarely acknowledged in mainstream narratives. To break free from this cycle, Portugal must renegotiate the base’s agreement with sovereignty and environmental safeguards, amplify marginalised voices in policy decisions, and invest in alternative economic models that reduce military dependence. The trickster reading of this situation reveals the absurdity of a nation actively participating in conflicts it does not support, yet the path forward lies in reclaiming agency through ethical frameworks, cross-cultural solidarity, and economic diversification.