Shock: Is this country being expelled from NATO?

The information comes from an internal Pentagon email reviewed by a U.S. official, Reuters reports.

The memo outlines policy options in detail and expresses frustration over what it describes as the unwillingness or refusal of some allies to grant the United States access, basing, and overflight rights (ABO).

Frustration with allies

According to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the memo states that ABO “represents the absolute foundation of NATO,” and that the proposed options are being discussed at senior levels within the Pentagon. One option includes suspending “problematic” countries from key or prestigious positions within the alliance.

President Donald Trump sharply criticized NATO members for failing to deploy their navies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which has been closed to global maritime traffic since the start of the air war on February 28. He also said he is considering withdrawing from the alliance.

“Wouldn’t you, if you were in my position?” Trump said in an interview with Reuters on April 1, when asked whether a U.S. withdrawal from NATO is a realistic option. However, the internal memo does not propose such a move, nor does it mention closing bases in Europe. The official declined to say whether the options include a potential reduction of U.S. forces in Europe.

Asked for comment, Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson said:

“As President Trump has said, despite everything the United States has done for our NATO allies, they have not been there for us. The Department of Defense will ensure the president has credible options so that our allies stop being a ‘paper tiger’ and begin doing their share. We have no further comment on any internal deliberations.”

War raises concerns about NATO’s future

The war with Iran has raised serious questions about the future of the 76-year-old alliance and sparked unprecedented concern that the U.S. may not come to the aid of its European allies in the event of an attack, analysts and diplomats say.

The United Kingdom, France, and other countries believe that joining a U.S. naval blockade would amount to entering the war, but say they would be willing to help keep the strait open after a lasting ceasefire is reached or the conflict ends.

However, officials in the Trump administration stress that NATO cannot be a one-way street. They expressed frustration with Spain, whose socialist leadership has said it would not allow its bases or airspace to be used for strikes on Iran. The United States maintains two key military bases in Spain: Naval Base Rota and Morón Air Base.

Specific measures

According to the official, the policy options outlined in the email are intended to send a strong signal to NATO allies in order to “reduce the European sense of entitlement.” The option of suspending Spain from the alliance would have limited impact on U.S. military operations but significant symbolic effect, the memo says.

The official did not explain how the United States could implement such a suspension, and Reuters could not immediately determine whether such a mechanism exists within NATO. The memo also includes the option of reconsidering U.S. diplomatic support for longstanding European “overseas territories,” such as the Falkland Islands near Argentina.

According to the U.S. State Department website, the islands are administered by the United Kingdom but are also claimed by Argentina, whose libertarian president Javier Milei is an ally of Trump. The United Kingdom and Argentina fought a brief war over the islands in 1982 following an unsuccessful Argentine attempt to seize them.

Criticism of Starmer

Around 650 Argentine and 255 British soldiers were killed before Argentina surrendered. Trump has repeatedly criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, calling him a coward for hesitating to join the U.S. war with Iran.

He said Starmer “is not Winston Churchill” and described British aircraft carriers as “toys.” The United Kingdom initially refused a U.S. request to allow strikes on Iran from two British bases, but later agreed to defensive missions aimed at protecting people in the region, including British citizens, amid Iranian retaliation.

Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon earlier this month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the war with Iran “has revealed a great deal,” noting that Iran’s longer-range missiles cannot reach the United States but can reach Europe.

“We are getting questions, resistance, or hesitation… You do not have a real alliance if there are countries unwilling to stand with you when you need them,” Pete Hegseth said.