Watch: Pentagon's leaked email: Can Spain be suspended from NATO?

Published on 27/04/2026 - 11:02 GMT+2

Last week, a leaked Pentagon email near officials successful Brussels and Madrid ruffled. It revealed a database of punitive options for allies who refused to assistance successful the Iran war.

The astir shocking proposal? Attempting to suspend Spain from NATO.

But hold a 2nd - is that adjacent possible?

Spain has been Europe’s astir vocal dependable against the war, denying refuelling and overflight rights astatine the Rota and Morón bases for strikes against Iran.

While Washington calls this the "absolute baseline" for the alliance, Madrid maintains these bases cannot beryllium utilized for actions extracurricular the NATO treaty.

However, contempt the threats, the US cannot simply evict an confederation member. The founding charter provides nary mechanics for suspension, and Article 13 allows lone voluntary withdrawal.

Experts constituent retired that Spain is good wrong its rights to support its sovereignty.

This is not the archetypal clip this has happened. In 1986, some Spain and France closed their airbases to the US during operations against Libya.

And this is wherever it gets adjacent much interesting: the leak suggests the retaliation could widen good beyond Spain.

The Pentagon is reportedly reviewing diplomatic enactment for British power of the Falkland Islands aft the UK besides denied US usage of its Royal Air Force bases to onslaught Iran.

And arsenic it appears the US committedness to NATO is fading, European nations are yet gathering their ain foundations.

Last Wednesday, Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius unveiled the country’s archetypal subject strategy for the Bundeswehr, aiming to physique Europe’s strongest accepted service by 2039.

The papers besides acknowledges that with Washington focused connected the Indo-Pacific, the European pillar indispensable presume greater work for its ain defence.

So, whether this leads to a stronger confederation oregon a imperishable divorcement remains the defining question for NATO’s yearly acme this July.

Watch the Euronews video successful the subordinate supra for the afloat story.