The report that the U.S. may demand Spain's suspension, NATO: No mechanism for exclusion of members

Reuters quoted an American official who said an internal Pentagon email had suggested measures to punish allies who, according to the US, had not supported its campaign, reports BBC.

Email also suggested reviewing the American stance on the claim of the United Kingdom on the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, which are also claimed by Argentina.

An official NATO told the BBC that the founding treaty of the coalition “does not provide any provision for suspension of NATO membership or exclusion”.

The leader of Spain also rejected the report.

Pentagon press spokeswoman Kingsley Wilson told the BBC that despite everything that the US has done for its allies in NATO, “it wasn't there for us to”.

She added: “The War Department [The Defence Department] will ensure that the president has reliable options to ensure that our allies are no longer a paper strategy, but do their part.

There are no further comments on any internal discussion in this direction. ”

The BBC has contacted the British government for comment.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised NATO allies for their reluctance to play a larger role after the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28th and Iran later limited navigation to the key Strait of Hormuz.

Spain has refused to allow the use of air bases on its territory for attacks on Iran. The US has two military bases in Spain: Navy Station Rota and Morón Air Base.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez told reporters: “We do not work on email basis. We work with official documents and official positions taken, in this case, by the United States government. ”

Sánchez added that Spain supports “full co-operation with allies, but always within the framework of international law”.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has insisted that a greater involvement in war or in the current American blockade of Iranian ports is not in the interest of the United Kingdom.

The UK has allowed the US to use British bases to launch attacks on Iranian targets targeting Hormuz Strait, and RAF aircraft have participated in missions to bring down Iranian fears.

The United Kingdom, France and others have said they would be willing to keep the Hormuz Strait open after a global oil transport route after a lasting ceasefire or the end of the war.

On Friday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth used a press conference to again criticise European allies for failing to support Washington in the fight against Iran.

“We are not counting on Europe, but they need Hormuz Strait much more than we do and can start talking less and organise fewer luxury conferences in Europe and take a ship. This is much more their struggle than ours,” said Hegseth.

“Europe and Asia have benefited from our protection for decades, but the time of free travel is over,” he added.

Last month, Trump said he had always considered NATO's alliance with 32 members as a single-way “ ”. We'll protect them, but they won't do anything for us,” he wrote.

The Pentagon's internal email stressed that access, bases and flight rights (ABO) were the “only minimal base for NATO”, according to anonymous American official who talked about Reuters.

As a possible revenge measure for this lack of co-operation, email suggested reviewing US diplomatic support for “imperial structures<x1 European long-term, such as the Falkland Islands.

On Friday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Melon urged NATO allies to stay united after this memorandum, saying the alliance is a <x0 source force”.

“We need to work to strengthen NATO's European pillar... which should clearly complete the American one,”, she told reporters at an EU summit in Cyprus.

A German government spokesman said Spain's membership is not in question.

“Spain is a NATO member and I see no reason why this should change,” he said at a regular press conference in Berlin.

The Falkland Islands, known in Argentina as Malvinas, are located some 8,000 miles (12,875 km) from the United Kingdom and about 300 miles from continental Argentina.

Argentina has long claimed sovereignty over these islands, a British territory overseas in the southwest Atlantic. The two countries waged a war on the issue after the Argentinan forces invaded the islands in 1982.

Another option mentioned in the email was the suspension of problems “seats from key positions within the alliance, according to the official.

The official told Reuters that the memorandum did not suggest that the US could withdraw from the alliance, nor did it propose closing bases in Europe.