US House Committee Questions Spanish Sovereignty Over Ceuta and Melilla Amid US-Israel Tensions

A US House Appropriations Committee report has for the first time questioned Spanish sovereignty over the North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, describing them as "Spanish-administered" but "located on Moroccan territory" and urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to mediate on their future status. The move is widely seen as retaliation against Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for refusing US access to Spanish bases for operations against Iran and for his criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza and Lebanon. Neoconservative analysts like Michael Rubin and Republican congressman Mario Díaz-Balart have suggested the US could move troops from Spain to Morocco and support Moroccan claims on the enclaves. Morocco, which normalized relations with Israel under the 2020 Abraham Accords, has received US recognition of its sovereignty over Western Sahara. However, Moroccan journalist Wissam El Bouzdaini downplays the immediate threat, noting that Morocco is focused on co-hosting the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal. The enclaves, Spanish since the 15th and 17th centuries, are the only European land borders in Africa and have been contested by Morocco since its independence in 1956. The UN does not list them as non-self-governing territories. Spain's Sánchez has further antagonized the US by awarding the Order of Civil Merit to UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese and calling for EU protection of figures defending international law from US sanctions.