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A Spanish Navy soldier stands beside Spanish flags and a NATO flag inside the hangar of the Castilla LPD (Landing Platform Dock) amphibious assault ship, floating in the Atlantic Ocean on March 28, 2025. — Reuters
– Options include suspending Spain from NATO.
– Proposals to reduce European “sense of entitlement.”
– Trump has issued warnings about potentially withdrawing the U.S. from the 76-year-old alliance.
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An internal Pentagon message details possible measures for the United States to discipline NATO allies it believes haven’t adequately backed U.S. efforts in the Iran conflict, such as considering Spain’s suspension from the alliance and reevaluating U.S. support for Britain’s claim to the Falkland Islands, a U.S. official disclosed to Reuters.
The strategies are outlined in a document expressing frustration over some allies’ hesitation or refusal to grant U.S. military access, base rights, and overflight permissions—referred to as ABO—for the Iran conflict, the official explained, requesting anonymity to discuss the internal communication.
The note emphasizes that ABO is “merely the absolute minimum for NATO,” and the options are circulating among high-ranking officials in the Pentagon.
One of the proposed options involves removing “troublesome” countries from key NATO positions, the official added.
President Donald Trump has publicly criticized NATO allies for not deploying their navies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which was shut to global shipping after the onset of air strikes on February 28.
He has also indicated he is contemplating exiting the alliance altogether.
“Wouldn’t you if you were me?” Trump told Reuters in an April 1 interview, responding to whether the U.S. might leave NATO.
However, the internal memo does not suggest an immediate U.S. withdrawal, nor does it recommend closing European bases.
The official refused to confirm whether plans include a potential reduction of U.S. forces in Europe.
When asked for comments, Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson stated: “As the President has noted, despite all the efforts we’ve made for our NATO allies, they haven’t always stood with us.”
“The Department will prepare credible options to ensure our allies aren’t just paper commitments, but engaged partners. We have no further comment on internal deliberations,” Wilson added.
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The U.S.-Israel tensions concerning Iran have sparked serious debates about NATO’s future, especially amid unprecedented concerns that the U.S. might not defend European allies if they come under attack, according to analysts and diplomats.
Britain, France, and others argue that joining a U.S.-led naval blockade would equate to entering the war. Nonetheless, they are willing to assist in maintaining the Strait’s open status once there’s a sustained ceasefire or the conflict concludes.
Yet, officials within the Trump administration emphasize that NATO cannot be a one-sided arrangement.
Frustration has been expressed toward Spain, where Socialist leaders have refused to permit U.S. bases or airspace to be utilized for strikes against Iran. The U.S. maintains significant military installations in Spain, including Naval Station Rota and Moron Air Base.
The proposed measures, outlined in the memo, aim to send a firm message to NATO partners—specifically, to diminish a European sense of entitlement, according to the official summarizing the document.
Suspending Spain from NATO, while unlikely to impact U.S. military operations significantly, would serve as a powerful symbolic gesture.
How exactly the U.S. would pursue such suspension remains unclear, as NATO doesn’t have a formal mechanism for expelling member countries.
The memo also considers reevaluating U.S. diplomatic backing for long-standing European overseas territories, like the Falkland Islands. The islands, overseen by the UK but still claimed by Argentina, remain a point of contention. Argentina’s libertarian President Javier Milei, an ally of Trump, has renewed its claim.
Back in 1982, Britain and Argentina fought a brief war over these islands, resulting in approximately 650 Argentine and 255 British deaths before Argentina surrendered.
Trump has repeatedly insulted then-British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, labeling him cowardly for his reluctance to join U.S. efforts against Iran, and criticizing Britain’s aircraft carriers as “toys.” Initially, the UK refused to permit U.S. attack flights from its bases but later agreed to defensive missions to protect regional residents amid Iranian retaliation.
Earlier this month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remarked that the Iran conflict has exposed vulnerabilities, noting Iran’s long-range missile capabilities that threaten Europe but not the U.S.
“We need allies willing to stand with us when it matters,” Hegseth said.
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