Approximately a week ago, it became public that three stealth F-35 fighter jets sold by the United States to Israel made a stopover at the Lajes Base on Terceira Island in the Azores. This topic sparked some controversy and even calls for resignations.
On Thursday, October 9, the weekly newspaper Expresso inquired the Israeli embassy in Portugal about any guarantees from the Portuguese Government for the passage of more combat aircraft via Lajes.
In response, an official source from the embassy acknowledged the existence of talks, stating that “such matters are discussed behind closed doors between the parties.”
Last week, the Israeli ambassador to Portugal, Oren Rozenblat, in an interview with CNN Portugal, had admitted that this issue was being secretly discussed with the government of Luís Montenegro.
“The matter of the jets is somewhat secret between the governments of Israel, the United States, and Portugal. I prefer not to talk about it,” said Oren Rozenblat.
This Friday, October 10, Expresso reported that Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, in a statement sent to the weekly, denied the claims of the Israeli ambassador.
“Regarding the news published today in Expresso, the Portuguese Government categorically denies the existence of any contacts with the government of Israel or the United States of America,” he stated.
The Israeli embassy also clarified the situation, noting that “the ambassador has been in Israel since Monday, and the response given to Expresso was incorrect, due to the ambassador’s absence.” It further clarified that “contrary to what was written in Expresso’s article, in his CNN interview, Ambassador Rozenblat did not state that there had been discussions between governments.”
So, what happened?
Last week, it came to light that Israeli aircraft had made a stopover at Lajes Base, dating back to the previous April.
As reported by Expresso, in a video shared by Island Aviation Terceira on YouTube, the footage shows jets 967, 968, and 969 landing on April 23 at the U.S. base located in the Portuguese archipelago. They reportedly took off the following day, accompanied by two American KC-135 refueling planes.
According to the same report, three days later, on April 27, the Israeli military affairs magazine Israel Defense reported that its Air Force had received these three F-35s, which had made a stopover in Europe. The photo illustrating the news was precisely of jet 968, filmed days earlier at Lajes Base.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that it was not informed of six stealth jets sold by the U.S. to Israel making a stopover at the Lajes Base in the Azores but confirmed that an entity from the Ministry of Defense granted authorization. “Two ministers not on the same page”? Resignation ‘on the horizon’?
Natacha Nunes Costa | 09:15 – 03/10/2025
MNE spoke of “procedural failure”
Last Thursday, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MNE), led by Paulo Rangel, three American aircraft made a stopover at the Azorean base of Lajes en route to Israel without prior communication to the Portuguese Government, a “procedural failure” for which the head of Portuguese diplomacy wants to hold parties accountable.
The note mentions that this operation had “tacit communication and authorization (i.e., by the expiration of the respective deadline)” and that the communication already had a favorable opinion from the AAN (National Aeronautical Authority), which reports to the Ministry of National Defense, led by Nuno Melo.
The MNE emphasized that “the stopover and overflight of three American aircraft for delivery to Israel,” which occurred on April 22, does not imply “a breach of the commitment made by the ministry or the Government on this matter,” referring to the embargo on the sale of arms and passage through national territory of military material for Israel, determined by the executive of Luís Montenegro.
“I regret there was a procedural error”
On Friday, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro highlighted that there was “a procedural error in the beginning when the issue was brought to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
“I regret that there was a procedural error in the beginning when the issue was brought to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is currently identified. There is nothing more to say about it,” he started by saying to journalists in Nazaré, Leiria district.
“Everything else was perfectly normal procedure. I don’t understand these radicalized reactions, calling for ministers’ resignations. It would be absurd for the Government to approach normal decisions with this kind of spirit,” he stated, in response to criticism and calls for resignation from other parties. Montenegro added: “We are in an election campaign, perhaps that has something to do with it.”
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro spoke this Friday about the passage of American planes through the Lajes Base. The Left Bloc is calling for the resignation of Defense Minister Nuno Melo.
Ana Teresa Banha | 13:39 – 03/10/2025
“We did not engage in any act that could be interpreted as an arms sale”
On Saturday, Luís Montenegro stated that Portugal did not engage “in any act that could be interpreted as an arms sale to Israel” after American planes were at the Lajes Base in the Azores in April this year.
“This has already been clarified. The explanation and clarification we provided relate to the fact that initially, not all information was available within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” he began, speaking to journalists during a public gathering in Chaves, Vila Real district.
He added: “We did not engage in any act that could be interpreted as an arms sale to Israel. That did not happen. What happened was a stopover, I believe, of three planes, not exactly military armament.”
. Đəla сўртгоуће vale whart fails.',<p>Prime Minister Luís Montenegro assured there was “no act that could be understood as an arms sale to Israel” following the passage of American planes through Lajes Base in the Azores this April. He further clarified that the matter “has already been clarified.”</p><p><small> Maria Gouveia with Lusa | 10:43 – 04/10/2025 </small></div></div></div></div><div class=)
