Spain PM dismisses report on US mulling Nato membership suspension over Iran rift

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday dismissed a Reuters report that an internal Pentagon email explored adverse ways for the United States to deal with Nato allies who Washington believes failed to support the US's military campaign against Iran, with one of the options being suspension of Spain's membership of the military coalition.

He reportedly said that Madrid does not respond to unconfirmed internal correspondence. "We do not work off of emails, we work from official documents and position," Sanchez was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera.

WHAT DOES THE EMAIL SAY?

The Reuters report, published earlier in the day, cites an unnamed US official who said that the policy options included in the purported Pentagon email also include reviewing Washington's official position on the United Kingdom's claim to the Falkland Islands.

Describing the internal note, the official said that it expresses frustration at some allies' perceived reluctance or refusal to grant the US access, basing and overflight rights – known as ABO – for the war against Iran.

The email stated that ABO is "just the absolute baseline for NATO," according to the official, Reuters noted. They also revealed that the options were circulating at high levels in the Pentagon.

One option in the email calls for suspending "difficult" nations from important or prestigious positions at Nato, the official said.

TRUMP'S OUTBURST AGAINST NATO ALLIES

US President Donald Trump has harshly criticised Nato allies for not dispatching their naval assets to help reopen the conflict-hit Strait of Hormuz, which was closed to global shipping by Iranian forces following the US-Israeli strikes that ignited the current war in the Middle East.

The leader has also said that he is considering withdrawing the US from the bloc. "Wouldn't you if you were me?" Trump asked Reuters in an interview earlier this month, in response to a query about whether the US pulling out of NATO was a possibility.

However, the Pentagon email does not suggest that the US does so, the official said. The memo also does not propose closing military bases in Europe.

Moreover, the official refused to say whether the options included a widely expected US drawdown of some forces from the continent.

Reuters also published a comment it received from Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson on the email. "As President Trump has said, despite everything that the United States has done for our NATO allies, they were not there for us," the official said.

Wilson added, "The War Department will ensure that the President has credible options to ensure that our allies are no longer a paper tiger and instead do their part. We have no further comment on any internal deliberations to that effect."

UK ALSO ON TRUMP'S CROSSHAIRS?

Besides Spain, the US is reportedly mulling adverse action against the UK as well. Trump has repeatedly insulted UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, calling him cowardly because of his unwillingness to join the war.

At one point, he also said that the British leader was "no Winston Churchill." Trump also resorted to describing Britain's aircraft carriers as "toys."

The US President's anger stemmed from the fact that Britain initially did not grant a request from the US to allow its aircraft to attack Iran from two British bases.

The country, however, eventually agreed to allow defensive missions aimed at protecting residents of the region, including British citizens, amid Iranian retaliation.

The UK, France, and others have said that the US's ongoing naval blockade of Iranian ports would amount to entering the war, but that they would be willing to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open once a lasting ceasefire is agreed upon or the conflict ends.

- Ends

(With inputs from agencies)