An internal email circulating within the US Defense Department has allegedly outlined potential punitive measures against NATO allies deemed insufficiently supportive of Washington's war on Iran, including Spain and the United Kingdom, a US official told Reuters.

The email purportedly considers options such as suspending Spain from NATO and re-evaluating the US stance on the Falkland Islands, which are also claimed by Argentina. The message reportedly criticizes “a sense of entitlement on the part of the Europeans” and is intended as a signal to NATO partners.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, speaking at an EU leaders' meeting in Cyprus, dismissed the email, saying Madrid is a “reliable member” of NATO that meets all its obligations. “I am absolutely not worried. We do not work with emails. We work with official documents,” Sanchez stated.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stressed that NATO “must remain united” and that the European “pillar” should complement the American one. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer reiterated that London's position on the Falklands is “unchanged,” with sovereignty resting with the UK and the islands' right to self-determination being paramount.

The email reflects growing US frustration with European allies refusing or hesitating to allow use of their bases for strikes on Iran. US President Donald Trump has previously called Spain “terrible” and threatened to end trade, while mocking Starmer as “no Winston Churchill” and British aircraft carriers as “toys.”

Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson said the War Department will ensure the president has “credible options” to make allies “no longer a paper tiger.” The email does not reportedly include US withdrawal from NATO or closure of European bases.

Source: www.aljazeera.com