United States is considering punishing some NATO allies, mainly Spain and Great Britain, for failing to support the US in the war with Iran, according to an internal Pentagon email, reported by Reuters. This would include suspending Spain from NATO and reviewing US diplomatic support for the Falkland Islands (Malvinas), a British Overseas Territory near Argentina.
Spain has been outspoken in their rejection of the war in Iran and denied the use of the American airbases in Spanish soil, Rota and Morón, to attack Iran. United Kingdom also initially denied the US the use of their airbases to attack Iran, but later allowed them to use them only for defensive missions against potential retaliation attacks from Iran.
United States is frustrated by countries who have refused to help them in the war against Iran, stating that allowing them access, basing, and overflight rights ("ABO") is the "absolute baseline for NATO". Suspending Spain from the Alliance would have limited military effects, but a symbolic impact, the document says, but didn't determine how they would do so, as there may not be an existing mechanism at NATO to do such a thing as "suspending" a country.
Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson, asked about the email by Reuters, said they won't comment on any internal deliberations but are considering "credible" options to ensure that their allies "are no longer a paper tiger and do their part", and that "despite everything that the United States has done for our NATO allies, they were not there for us".