MADRID — Spanish defense officials confirmed Tuesday that the country's two military installations in Andalusia, while technically designated as joint US-Spanish bases, were never intended to be used jointly during times when the United States might actually need to use them.

"The word 'joint' has many meanings," said a Ministry of Defense spokesperson, reading from prepared remarks. "In this case, it refers to our joint commitment to discussing future cooperation, not to any current operational activities." The spokesperson declined to elaborate on what specific operations the bases were meant to support, if not current ones.

The bases, which have hosted US military aircraft since 1953 under a bilateral agreement renewed most recently in 2023, will continue to operate normally in all respects except the hosting of US military aircraft. "Nothing fundamental has changed," the spokesperson added. "We simply wish to clarify what 'use' means in the context of a military base."

According to sources familiar with the matter, Spanish officials discovered the bases were being used for their intended purpose only after reviewing recent flight logs. "We were surprised to learn that aircraft were taking off and landing," said one official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss his own surprise. "That's not what we envisioned when we agreed to host aircraft."

The US Department of Defense acknowledged receipt of Spain's clarification and said it would study the dictionary definition of "joint" before responding. "We appreciate Spain's commitment to the alliance," said a Pentagon spokesperson, "and look forward to many more years of jointly not using the joint bases together."

Spanish officials emphasized that the decision reflects careful consideration of international law and domestic political considerations, both of which were discovered to exist last Thursday. The ministry has established a committee to study whether other jointly operated facilities are being used in ways that involve actual operations.

"This is about principles," the spokesperson concluded, noting that Spain remains committed to NATO and transatlantic cooperation. "We just prefer our commitments to remain theoretical."