A Pentagon internal email reportedly describes possible ways the United States could respond to NATO allies it thinks did not fully back US military operations in the war with Iran.
According to a US official, who spoke to Reuters anonymously, proposals include suspending Spain from NATO and reconsidering US support for Britain’s claim over the Falkland Islands. The note reflects anger over some allies’ unwillingness or hesitation to provide access, basing, and overflight rights (ABO) during the conflict.
The email described ABO as “just the absolute baseline for ,” as per an official, who mentioned the proposals were being discussed at senior levels within the Pentagon.
One suggestion involved removing “difficult” member states from key or high-profile NATO roles.
The US-Israeli conflict with has intensified concerns about the future of the 76-year-old alliance, with analysts and diplomats warning that European nations are increasingly uncertain about whether the US would defend them if they came under attack, the report noted.
Britain, France, and other allies have argued that joining the US naval blockade would effectively mean entering the war. They said they would instead support efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz after a lasting ceasefire is reached or the fighting ends.
At the same time, officials in the Trump administration have insisted that NATO should not function as a one-sided arrangement. They have been particularly irked with Spain, whose Socialist government refused to allow its bases or airspace to be used for strikes against Iran. The US operates two major military facilities in : Naval Station Rota and Morón Air Base.
According to the official, the measures proposed in the email were meant to send a clear warning to NATO allies and reduce what was described as a growing “sense of entitlement” among European countries. As per the email, the proposal to suspend Spain from the alliance would be unlikely to greatly affect US military operations; however, it would carry strong symbolic significance.
The official did not explain how the United States could move forward with suspending Spain from NATO, and Reuters was unable to immediately confirm whether the alliance has an established process for such an action.
When asked about the report before a meeting of European Union leaders in Cyprus, where issues such as NATO’s mutual defense clause were set to be discussed, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said, “We do not work off emails. We work off official documents and government positions, in this case of the United States.”
Trump’s criticism of NATO allies
President has slammed NATO allies for not deploying their naval forces to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz after global shipping was disrupted when the air war began on February 28. He has also said he is considering pulling the United States out of the alliance.
On April 1, when asked if there was any plan to of US withdrawing from NATO, he asked Reuters, “Wouldn’t you if you were me?”
The official said the email does not recommend that the United States leave NATO or shut down its military bases in Europe. However, they did not confirm whether it included plans for a possible reduction of US troops stationed across the continent.
Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson stated, “As President Trump has said, despite everything that the United States has done for our NATO allies, they were not there for us.
“The War Department will ensure that the President has credible options to ensure that our allies are no longer a paper tiger and instead do their part. We have no further comment on any internal deliberations to that effect,” Wilson added.
(With inputs from Reuters)
