US weighs suspending Spain from NATO – Reuters

(SeaPRwire) –   The Pentagon has proposed penalizing Madrid for denying access to its bases and airspace during the Iran war, per an internal email cited by the news outlet

Reuters reported on Friday, citing an internal Pentagon email, that the US is reportedly considering unprecedented penalties for NATO members it says failed to support its campaign against Iran. The outlet noted that the possible options include suspending Spain from the alliance.

An American official familiar with the document told Reuters that the memo, which is circulating among top officials at the Department of War, expresses deep frustration with European NATO members who barred the US from using their bases and airspace during the war that began in late February.

Among the measures under review are removing “difficult” countries from key positions within the bloc, as well as temporarily revoking Spain’s NATO membership. While acknowledging that such a move would have a limited impact on US military operations, the Pentagon email argues it would carry significant symbolic weight.

However, a NATO official told the BBC that there are no actual provisions for suspending or expelling member states from the alliance. The only way a country can leave NATO is by voluntarily invoking Article 13, which requires one full year of formal “notice of denunciation.”

Spain has been one of the most vocal critics of the US-Israeli war on Iran and has consistently refused to allow US forces to use its military bases or airspace for offensive operations against the Islamic Republic. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has repeatedly denounced the campaign, calling it an “illegal, reckless, and unjust war.”

Commenting on the Reuters report, Sanchez brushed aside the threat, stating he was “absolutely not worried” about being suspended from the bloc, stressing that Spain is “a reliable member within NATO.”

Another option reportedly being considered by Washington is reviewing US diplomatic support for the UK’s claim to the Falkland Islands (Malvinas), a territory that has long been disputed with Argentina. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially refused to join the US-Israeli war on Iran, although the UK later allowed “defensive missions” from its bases in the region.

Since the launch of the unprovoked attack on Iran, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly pressed NATO members to join the campaign and help secure the vital Strait of Hormuz. 

When Spain and other European nations refused, Trump denounced NATO as a “paper tiger” and warned that the US could withdraw from the bloc.