Pentagon memo floats booting Spain from NATO, punishing other members over refusal to join Iran war, source says

An internal Pentagon email outlines options for the United States to punish NATO allies it believes failed to support US operations in the US-Israeli war with Iran, including suspending Spain from the alliance and reviewing the US position on Britain’s claim to the Falkland Islands, a US official tells Reuters.

The policy options are detailed in a note expressing frustration at some allies’ perceived reluctance or refusal to grant the United States access, bases and overflight rights — known as ABO — for the Iran war, says the official, who speaks 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 adds 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 says.

The email does not suggest, however, that the US could withdraw from NATO, Reuters says. It also does not propose closing bases in Europe.

The official declines to say whether the options included a widely expected US drawdown of some forces from Europe, however.

Asked for comment on the email, Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson responds: “As President Trump has said, despite everything that the United States has done for our NATO allies, they were not there for us.”

“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,” Wilson says.