Washington has been considering sanctioning NATO allies over their non-involvement in the Iran war, with Spain in the spotlight after refusing the US use of its bases and airspace, according to reports.
An internal Pentagon email has outlined options for the United States to punish NATO allies it believes failed to support US operations in the Iran war, including suspending Spain from the alliance and reviewing the US position on Britain's claim to the Falkland Islands, according to a US official who spoke to Reuters.
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The policy options are detailed in a note expressing frustration at some allies' reluctance or refusal to grant the US access, basing and overflight rights — known as ABO — for the Iran war, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the email.
The email stated that ABO is "just the absolute baseline for NATO", according to the official, who added that the options were circulating at high levels in the Pentagon.
One option in the email envisions suspending "difficult" countries from important or prestigious positions at NATO, the official said.
The document is neither an official memo nor an executive order, but its contents carry weight as it circulates among senior commanders.
Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson did not deny the existence of the email, stating, "As (US) President (Donald) 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 do their part," Wilson said.
Spain in the spotlight
Spain is explicitly mentioned in the email, after the government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was among the first to make clear it would not allow the use of its military facilities for offensive operations against Iran.
Defence Minister Margarita Robles and Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares confirmed this publicly in early March. "Based on all the information I have, the bases are not being used for this military operation," Albares told Spanish public television on 2 March.
"We will not lend our bases for anything that is not in the Treaty or consistent with the UN Charter," Albares said, referring to the Rota naval base and the Morón air base.
Madrid later closed its airspace to all US aircraft involved in the war. "Neither the bases are authorised, nor, of course, is the use of Spanish airspace authorised for any actions related to the war in Iran," Robles told reporters.
Trump called Spain "a terrible ally" and threatened to cut off trade relations. The European Commission came to Spain's defence, saying it would protect EU trade interests.
NATO a 'one-way street'?
Trump has criticised NATO allies for not sending their navies to help open the Strait of Hormuz, which was closed to global shipping following the start of the Iran war on 28 February.
He has also said he is considering withdrawing from the alliance.
The email does not suggest that the US do so, the official said. It also does not propose closing bases in Europe. The official declined to say whether the options included a widely expected US drawdown of some forces from Europe.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier said that Washington would "re-examine" its relationship with NATO after allies refused to support the Iran war.
"If we've reached a point where the NATO alliance means we can't use those bases to defend America's interests, then NATO becomes a one-way street," Rubio told Fox News.
"If NATO is about us defending Europe, but they deny us basing rights when we need them, that's not a very good arrangement."
The alliance's founding charter provides no mechanism for expelling or suspending a member state. The only article that addresses a country's exit is Article 13, which allows voluntary withdrawal from the alliance.
The two US facilities on Spanish soil are critical to US operations on the southern flank of Europe and the Mediterranean.
Rota is home to Europe's largest weapons and fuel depot and serves as a staging point for cargo planes, tankers and bombers bound for Africa and the Middle East. The naval base houses multiple Navy destroyers that play a key role in NATO's integrated defence system.
Morón operates large C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster military transports and has been used for logistics efforts and at times as a hub for crisis-response Marine units.