Pentagon Email Floats Suspending Spain From NATO, Other Steps Over Iran Rift: Reuters

WASHINGTON, April 24 (Reuters) – An internal Pentagon email outlines U.S. sentencing options NATO Allies in the war with Iran that the US believes it cannot support, including suspending operations Spain A US official told Reuters that it had withdrawn from the alliance and that the US position on Britain’s claim to the Falkland Islands was being reviewed.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the email, said the policy options were detailed in a memo expressing frustration that some allies have refused or been unwilling to give the United States access, basing and overflight rights (known as ABO) for the Iran war.

The email stated that ASG was “absolute essential only.” NATOthe official said, adding that options were circulating at high levels in the Pentagon.

One of the options in the email calls for removing “difficult” countries from important or prestigious positions. NATOsaid the official.

US President Donald Trump made harsh criticism NATO Because the Allies did not send their navies to help open the Strait of Hormuz, which was closed to global shipping following the start of the air war on February 28.

He also announced that he was considering withdrawing from the alliance.

“Wouldn’t you do it if you were me?” Embers asked Reuters In an April 1 interview, in response to a question about whether the United States would withdraw from the nuclear agreement NATO It was a possibility.

But the official said the email did not suggest the United States had done so. It also does not recommend closing bases in Europe.

But the official declined to say whether the options included a widespread expectation that the United States would withdraw some forces from Europe.

When asked to comment on the email, Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson responded: “As President Trump has said, despite everything the United States has done for us, NATO Our allies were not there for us.

“The War Department will ensure that the President has credible options to ensure that our allies are no longer paper tigers but are doing their part. We have no further comment on any internal discussions to that effect,” Wilson said.

Analysts and diplomats say the US-Israeli war with Iran raises serious questions about the future of the 76-year-old bloc and raises unprecedented concerns that the United States will not be able to come to the aid of its European allies if they are attacked.

Britain, France and others say joining the US naval blockade would mean entering into war, but they would be willing to help keep the Strait open once a permanent ceasefire is reached or the conflict ends.

But Trump administration officials emphasized that: NATO It can’t be a one-way street.

They expressed disappointment SpainThe socialist leadership has said it will not allow its bases or airspace to be used to attack Iran. The USA has two important military bases Spain: Rota Naval Station and Morón Air Base.

The policy options outlined in the email are intended to send a strong signal to Türkiye. NATO Summarizing the email, the official said they became allies to “reduce the Europeans’ sense of entitlement.”

Suspension option Spain The email suggests that a move from the alliance would have a limited impact on US military operations but would have a significant symbolic impact.

The official did not say how the US might follow up on the suspension. Spain and Reuters could not immediately determine whether there was a mechanism in place at this point. NATO to do this.

When asked about the report before the meeting of European Union leaders in Cyprus to discuss the following issues, Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez said, “We do not work through emails. In the case of the United States, we work through official documents and government positions.” NATOmutual aid clause.

The memo also includes the option of considering a reassessment of U.S. diplomatic support for Europe’s long-standing “imperial possessions,” such as the Falkland Islands near Argentina.

The Foreign Office website says the islands are administered by the United Kingdom but are still claimed by Argentina, whose Libertarian President Javier Milei is a Trump ally.

Britain and Argentina fought a brief war over the islands in 1982, following a failed attempt by Argentina to take them. Approximately 650 Argentine soldiers and 255 British soldiers died before Argentina surrendered.

Trump repeatedly insulted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, calling him a coward for his unwillingness to join the US war with Iran, saying he was “no Winston Churchill” and calling Britain’s aircraft carriers a “toy”.

Britain initially rejected a request from the United States to allow its aircraft to attack Iran from two British bases, but later agreed to allow defensive missions aimed at protecting residents, including British citizens, in the face of Iranian retaliation.

Addressing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon earlier this month that the war with Iran “reveals a lot of things” and noted that Iran’s long-range missiles cannot hit the United States but can reach Europe.

“We run into questions, obstacles, or hesitations… If you have countries that aren’t willing to be there for you when you need them, you don’t have much of an alliance,” Hegseth said.

(Reporting by Phil Stewart; Additional reporting by Into Landauro and Victoria Waldersee, Editing by Don Durfee and Edmund Klamann)