Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel stated on Wednesday, April 29, that the use of Lajes Air Base by the United States in the conflict with Iran has been negligible compared to US resources in the Middle East. Rangel noted that the authorization for US use of the Azores base is strictly conditioned on the material being used only for proportional and necessary responses to attacks against military targets. He also confirmed that the agreement has the consensus of major Portuguese political parties and that the government has every reason to believe Washington is complying with these conditions. Regarding criticism from the Trump administration toward NATO allies, Rangel called the positions unfair, noting that the operation was not communicated to allies beforehand. He reaffirmed Portugal's commitment to diplomatic efforts and a lasting ceasefire, while emphasizing that the reliability of NATO's mission remains intact despite current global challenges.