US3 min(s) read
Published 15:49 24 Apr 2026 GMT
NATO has hit back after a leaked Pentagon email revealed an alleged plan by President Donald Trump to remove one country from the alliance.
The message, first reported by Reuters, outlined potential ways the US could respond to countries it believes failed to back its campaign against Iran.
But NATO officials were quick to reject the idea, telling BBC News that the founding treaty "does not foresee any provision for suspension of Nato membership, or expulsion".
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The controversy centers on growing frustration in Washington after several NATO countries, most notably Spain, refused to support US military operations following strikes on Iran on February 28.
Spain declined to allow US forces to use its air bases, including Naval Station Rota and Morón Air Base, blocking access to what the Pentagon considers crucial "baseline" support, known as access, basing, and overflight rights.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez dismissed the report, saying: "We do not work based on emails. We work with official documents and official positions taken, in this case, by the government of the United States."
He added that Spain supported "full co-operation with its allies, but always within the framework of international law."
A senior NATO source said the tone of the email was "not surprising" given Trump’s ongoing frustration with Europe, particularly Spain, per Yahoo.
The leaked email also raised the possibility of reassessing US diplomatic backing for European territories, including the Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory long disputed by Argentina.
The islands, located about 8,000 miles from the UK and roughly 300 miles from Argentina, were the focus of a 1982 war after Argentine forces invaded before being driven out by Britain.
The email implied this could be used as leverage against allies seen as uncooperative, alongside proposals to sideline "difficult" countries from key NATO roles.
Despite the suggestions, officials emphasized the document did not include plans for the US to leave NATO or shut down its military bases in Europe.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth criticized European allies for not doing more in the Iran conflict.
"We are not counting on Europe, but they need the Strait of Hormuz much more than we do, and might want to start doing less talking and having less fancy conferences in Europe and getting a boat. This is much more their fight than ours," he said.
"Europe and Asia have benefitted from our protection for decades, but the time for free riding is over," he added.
Trump has also repeatedly slammed NATO, previously describing the alliance as a "one-way street," adding: "We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us."
However, European leaders have moved quickly to calm tensions. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described NATO as a "source of strength" and urged: "We must work to strengthen NATO's European pillar... which must clearly complement the American one."
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