An internal Pentagon communication has outlined possible measures the United States could take against NATO allies it believes did not adequately support its operations in the war with Iran, including the potential suspension of Spain from the alliance and a reassessment of US backing for Britain’s claim to the Falkland Islands, according to the Reuters news agency.
According to a US official who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, the proposals were set out in a note reflecting frustration over what the US sees as some allies’ unwillingness to provide access, basing and overflight rights — known as ABO — during the conflict with Iran. ALSO READ: Spain blocks its airspace to US military flights linked to the war in Iran.
The email described ABO as ‘just the absolute baseline for NATO’, the official said, adding that the ideas were being circulated at senior levels within the Pentagon.
Among the options discussed is the possibility of sidelining ‘difficult’ countries from key or prestigious roles within NATO structures.
US President Donald Trump has sharply criticised allies for not deploying naval forces to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which was shut to global shipping following the outbreak of the Iran war on 28 February. ALSO READ: Trump vows to ‘cut off all trade’ with Spain over Iran stance: ‘We don’t want anything to do with Spain’.
He has also suggested he could reconsider US membership of the alliance.
However, according to the Reuters report, the official stressed that the internal email does not advocate for a US withdrawal from NATO, nor does it propose closing American bases in Europe.
The conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran has intensified doubts about the future of the 76-year-old NATO alliance and raised concerns among diplomats and analysts that Washington may not come to the defence of European partners in the event of an attack. ALSO READ: Europe must take defence into its own hands amid US NATO threats, says Spain’s foreign minister.
Countries including Britain and France have argued that participating in a US-led naval blockade would effectively mean entering the war, although they have indicated willingness to help secure the Strait once a lasting ceasefire is in place or hostilities end.
Officials in the Trump administration have insisted that NATO must operate as a mutual partnership rather than a one-sided arrangement.
Frustration has been particularly directed at Spain, whose socialist-led government said it would not permit its territory or airspace to be used for offensive operations against Iran. The US maintains two major military installations in Spain: Naval Station Rota and Morón Air Base. ALSO READ: Pedro Sánchez responds to Donald Trump: ‘No to war’.
The proposals in the email are intended to send a strong political message to European allies and to ‘decreasing the sense of entitlement on the part of the Europeans’, the official said, summarising the document.
While suspending Spain from NATO would likely have limited operational impact on US forces, the memo suggests it would carry considerable symbolic weight.
The official did not explain how such a suspension might be implemented, and it remains unclear whether NATO has an established mechanism for removing a member.
Asked about the report ahead of a European Union leaders’ meeting in Cyprus, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez dismissed its significance. ALSO READ: Spain to send frigate to Cyprus to ‘offer protection’ and ‘support any evacuation of civilians’.
‘We do not work off emails. We work off official documents and government positions, in this case of the United States,’ he said.
‘There is no debate,’ he added. ‘We are fulfilling our obligations; we are a loyal partner. We are committed and deployed in many of the areas requested by the member states themselves, and therefore, there is absolute certainty.’ ALSO READ: Spain rejects participating in military operations in Strait of Hormuz, urges de-escalation.
According to the Reuters report, the Pentagon memo also considers the possibility of revisiting US diplomatic support for longstanding European overseas territories, including the Falkland Islands near Argentina.
The islands are governed by the United Kingdom but remain claimed by Argentina, whose Libertarian President Javier Milei is a political ally of Trump.
The UK and Argentina fought a brief conflict over the islands in 1982 after Argentine forces attempted to seize them. Around 650 Argentine soldiers and 255 British troops were killed before Argentina surrendered.
Trump has repeatedly criticised British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, describing him as weak for declining to join the US military campaign against Iran. He said Starmer was ‘No Winston Churchill’ and dismissed Britain’s aircraft carriers as ‘toys’.
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