Pentagon leak signals possible NATO rift over Iran war as US eyes pressure on Spain, Europe

Washington. The United States is reportedly weighing unprecedented political and military pressure on NATO allies, including the possibility of suspending Spain from alliance activities, amid growing tensions over the war with Iran and what Washington views as insufficient European support.

According to an internal Pentagon email cited by a US official speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, senior defence officials have circulated policy options aimed at penalising NATO members perceived to have failed to support American operations in the conflict.

The measures, drafted by Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s top policy adviser, reportedly reflect frustration within Washington over what it sees as reluctance by some allies to grant the United States access, basing and overflight rights—commonly referred to as ABO—during the Iran war.

The email, which has been circulating at senior levels of the Pentagon, describes ABO as “just the absolute baseline for NATO”, according to the official.

Among the options outlined is a proposal to suspend “difficult” countries from key positions within NATO structures, a move that would mark a dramatic escalation in internal alliance tensions.

Another option reportedly being discussed includes reassessing US diplomatic positions on long-standing territorial disputes involving European powers, including Britain’s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, which are claimed by Argentina.

The developments come against the backdrop of a widening transatlantic rift over the US-led war with Iran, which began on February 28 and has already reshaped global security calculations.

The conflict escalated after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping, triggering military operations led by the United States and Israel. President Donald Trump has criticised NATO allies for what he describes as a lack of meaningful naval support to help secure the strategic waterway.

“Wouldn’t you if you were me?” Trump told Reuters in an April 1 interview when asked about the possibility of the United States reconsidering its NATO membership.

He has previously suggested that Washington could reassess its role in the alliance, although officials say the Pentagon email does not formally propose a US withdrawal from NATO or the closure of American bases in Europe.

However, it does reflect a growing sense within parts of the Trump administration that NATO cannot function as a one-sided security arrangement.

According to the official, the internal memo is designed to present options that would “decrease the sense of entitlement on the part of the Europeans” and compel allies to contribute more directly to US-led military operations.

Spain has emerged as one of the focal points of US frustration. The Socialist-led government in Madrid has declined to allow Spanish bases or airspace to be used in offensive operations against Iran, a position that has drawn criticism from Washington.

The United States maintains two key military facilities in Spain—Naval Station Rota and Morón Air Base—which are strategically important for operations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

The Pentagon email reportedly suggests that suspending Spain from certain NATO roles would carry limited operational consequences for US forces but would send a strong symbolic message to other allies.

Asked about the reported proposals, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez dismissed the claims, saying Madrid does not respond to internal emails or unofficial documents.

“We do not work off emails. We work off official documents and government positions, in this case of the United States,” Sánchez said ahead of a European Union summit in Cyprus where defence and NATO-related issues were discussed.

NATO officials, meanwhile, pushed back strongly on the idea of suspension, stating that the alliance’s founding treaty does not include any mechanism for removing or suspending member states.

“NATO’s Founding Treaty does not foresee any provision for suspension of NATO membership,” a NATO official said.

The internal US debate reflects deeper uncertainty about the future of the alliance, which has been in place for 76 years and has long been anchored on the principle of collective defence.

The war with Iran has intensified concerns among European allies about the reliability of US security guarantees, with analysts warning that divisions exposed by the conflict could have long-term implications for transatlantic relations.

Britain, France and several other NATO members have argued that direct participation in the US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would amount to entering the war. However, they have indicated willingness to support efforts to reopen the waterway once hostilities cease.

The Trump administration, however, has taken a harder line, insisting that NATO allies must share more of the burden.

Senior US defence officials have repeatedly emphasised that the alliance must not become, in their words, a “paper tiger”.

Speaking earlier this month, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the war had exposed critical weaknesses in allied cohesion.

“A lot has been laid bare,” Hegseth said, noting that while Iran’s long-range missiles do not threaten the continental United States, they can reach European territory.

“We get questions, or roadblocks, or hesitations… You don’t have much of an alliance if you have countries that are not willing to stand with you when you need them,” he added.

The Pentagon email also reportedly raises the possibility of reviewing US positions on what it calls European “imperial possessions”, including the Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic.

The islands have long been a point of contention between the United Kingdom and Argentina, which refers to them as the Malvinas. Britain reasserted control over the territory following a brief but bloody war in 1982 that left more than 900 soldiers dead on both sides.

Argentina’s President Javier Milei, a close ally of Trump, has expressed renewed confidence in diplomatic efforts to advance his country’s claim.

“We are doing everything humanly possible so that the Argentine Malvinas… return to the hands of Argentina,” Milei said in a recent radio interview.

“We’re making progress like never before,” he added.

Britain, however, has reiterated that the sovereignty of the islands is not negotiable.

“Sovereignty rests with the UK and the islands’ right to self-determination is paramount,” a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.

Trump has previously criticised Starmer’s stance on the Iran conflict, accusing him of lacking resolve and comparing him unfavourably to wartime British leader Winston Churchill. He has also dismissed Britain’s naval capabilities, describing aircraft carriers as “toys”.

Despite tensions, Britain did eventually allow the United States to conduct limited defensive missions from British bases in the region, aimed at protecting civilians and allied personnel during Iranian retaliation strikes.

As diplomatic and military tensions deepen, analysts say the Pentagon email highlights a growing willingness within parts of the US administration to reconsider long-standing alliance assumptions.

While no formal policy changes have been announced, the emergence of such options signals a potentially significant shift in how Washington views NATO obligations in an era of escalating global conflict.