https://www.reuters.com/world/pentagon-email-floats-suspending-spain-nato-other-steps-over-iran-rift-source-2026-04-24/An internal Pentagon email outlines options for the United States to punish NATO allies it believes failed to support U.S. operations in the war with Iran, including suspending Spain from the alliance and reviewing the U.S. position on Britain's claim to the Falkland Islands, a U.S. official told Reuters.The policy options are detailed in a note expressing frustration at some allies' perceived reluctance or refusal to grant the United States 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.President Donald Trump has harshly criticized 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 air war on February 28.He has also declared he is considering withdrawing from the alliance."Wouldn't you if you were me?" Trump asked Reuters in an April 1 interview, in response to a question about whether the U.S. pulling out of NATO was a possibility.But the email does not suggest that the United States 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 U.S. drawdown of some forces from Europe, however.
The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has raised serious questions about the future of the 76-year-old bloc and provoked unprecedented concern that the U.S. might not come to the aid of European allies should they be attacked, analysts and diplomats say.Britain, France and others say that joining the U.S. naval blockade would amount to entering the war, but that they would be willing to help keep the Strait open once there was a lasting ceasefire or the conflict ended.But Trump administration officials have stressed that NATO cannot be a one-way street.They have expressed frustration with Spain, where the Socialist leadership said it would not allow its bases or airspace to be used to attack Iran. The United States has two important military bases in Spain: Naval Station Rota and Morón Air Base.The policy options outlined in the email would be intended to send a strong signal to NATO allies with the goal of "decreasing the sense of entitlement on the part of the Europeans," the official said, summarizing the email.The option to suspend Spain from the alliance would have a limited effect on U.S. military operations but a significant symbolic impact, the email argues.The official did not disclose how the United States might pursue suspending Spain from the alliance, and Reuters could not immediately determine whether there was an existing mechanism at NATO to do so."We do not work off emails. We work off official documents and government positions, in this case of the United States," Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez said when asked about the report ahead of a meeting of European Union leaders in Cyprus to discuss topics including NATO's mutual assistance clause.
The memo also includes an option to consider reassessing U.S. diplomatic support for longstanding European "imperial possessions," such as the Falkland Islands near Argentina.The State Department's website states that 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 in 1982 over the islands after Argentina made a failed bid to take them. Some 650 Argentine soldiers and 255 British troops died before Argentina surrendered.A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the sovereignty of the islands rests with Britain."Sovereignty rests with the UK and the islands' right to self-determination is paramount. It's been our consistent position and will remain the case," the spokesperson told reporters on Friday.Trump has repeatedly insulted Starmer, calling him cowardly because of his unwillingness to join the U.S. war with Iran, saying he was "No Winston Churchill" and describing Britain's aircraft carriers as "toys."Britain initially did not grant a request from the U.S. to allow its aircraft to attack Iran from two British bases, but later agreed to allow defensive missions aimed at protecting residents of the region, including British citizens, amid Iranian retaliation.
How many times does he have to be told that this is not the way any of it works? Christ I care for an autistic five year old boy with more self control and regard for consequences than Trump.
>>1508882Whichever retard wrote this email needs to be fired
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/24/us-weighs-retaliation-against-nato-allies-over-iran-war-divisions-reutersEuropean-US tensions grew further on Friday, when US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, commenting on the Strait of Hormuz at a news conference, said, “the time for free-riding is over.“America and the free world deserve allies who are capable, who are loyal and who understand that being an ally is not a one-way street. It’s a two-way street,” said Hegseth. “We are not counting on Europe, but they need the Strait of Hormuz much more than we do, and [they] might want to do less talking and having less fancy conferences in Europe, and get in a boat. This is much more their fight than ours.”While Trump has previously floated withdrawing the US from NATO, the Pentagon email does not present US withdrawal from the alliance, nor the closure of US bases in Europe, the official told Reuters.
As of April 2026, the U.S. maintains a,~3,800-personnel military presence in Spain, primarily at Naval Station Rota and Morón Air Base. These imperiallist thugs have encroached into every nation on the planetEFF off now(like really fast)
>>1508882Trump seems DESPERATE to position NATO as anything other than a defensive pact. I wonder why that is...
>>1508966Yes, and when Trump invades Greenland and Denmark invokes article 5 every single one of those US military personnel will potentially be captured or killed by the overwhelming military might of Spain. Same goes for the other 50k or however many they have in Germany and the UK and wherever else. This means if you see the US suddenly relocating all of their forces from NATO bases the attack is imminent, and if they don’t want to give the game away they’ll be risking tens of thousands of essentially hostages
>>1508890Well the problem is that the damage caused by this is still irreversible.Even though Trump can't leave NATO without congress(?) approval, it doesn't change the fact that his behavior still weakens NATO cohesion.I really hope that European leaders, despite their many incompetences and blunders in the matter are working on some sort of alternative alliance structure to jump to, once the NATO ship finally sinks.>>1508966>These imperiallist thugs have encroached into every nation on the planetWell no, until very recently the US was considered our ally and I was happy to have them here. It's sad things are turning out this way
Fucking yellow stupid men
>>1509329>European leaders, despite their many incompetences and blunders in the matterWith regards to what, NATO?
>>1509331Just dealing with both Russia and post-Trump election USA in general. With a lot of it, it seems like there still isn't a cohesive strategy and we're just all hoping that it ends up going well somehow.I'm aware that as a European citizen I'm maybe an extra bit more cynical, critical and pessimistic on the matter, plus it's easy to demand action when you're just some sucker on the internet, not an actual decision maker who has to carry the responsibility and consequences. But still, I wish our leaders would do better.
>>1509335Regarding Russia first, the strategy from most European leaders at least the big NATO countries along with the countries closest to Russia is to arm and supply the Ukraine to fight against the invasion. It’s a coherent strategy and response, the only problems with it have been from the any Russian sympathetic countries within either the EU or NATO and the Americans since Trump causing problems with threatening to not participate in arming the Ukraine or otherwise changing the deal that was agreed and working since the start of the war. The Americans have some power in this since they produce the most weapons, and the response from several in Europe is to move to becoming more independent and less reliant on the Americans regarding weaponry. The premise here is that supporting Ukraine against Russia is in the interests generally speaking of Europe. Second issue surrounding Trump more specifically outside of the Ukraine War is a bit more complex, for example the war on Iran as you are probably aware is not reason to invoke any kind of support by NATO for the US, and the NATO allies are well within their rights to stay out of that conflict as they’ve chosen to do. Another Trump major issue with NATO would be his claims and veiled (or outright) threats on Greenland which as you know is territory of Denmark a NATO member, meaning if the US did attack Greenland it would enable Denmark to invoke the NATO alliance and there’d be war between the US and NATO. I can’t imagine any other way of dealing with such a direct threat on your territory as reminding the potential belligerent that you have powerful friends and you will fight back. It’s absolutely insane that Trump would act in such a way that his allies would have to remind him like that. Personally my only criticism is that it’s taken this long to tell Trump that he can’t treat allies like that and he also can’t expect allies to jump in to save him when he starts shit with other countries
