Elbridge Colby Email Outlines U.S. Sanctions, Including Suspending Spain From NATO Over Iran War Support

An internal Pentagon email described by Reuters lays out options for the United States to sanction NATO allies it judges insufficient in their support for U.S. operations during the war against Iran, including “the suspension de l'Espagne de l'Alliance” and a possible reevaluation of the U.S. position on Britain’s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.

“NATO says there are 'no provisions' in its treaties that foresee the suspension or expulsion of any of the alliance's member states, after reports that the United States could attempt to suspend Spain over its stance in the war with Iran”

BBC

The memo’s author, identified by Reuters as Elbridge Colby, principal political adviser at the Pentagon, frames access, basing, and overflight rights (ABO) as central to NATO, with the email saying ABO is “le socle absolu de l'OTAN”.

BBC

Reuters reports that the email circulates at the highest levels of the Pentagon and that one option would “écarter les pays 'difficiles' des postes importants ou prestigieux au sein de l'OTAN”.

The same Reuters reporting says President Donald Trump criticized NATO allies for not sending naval forces to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which he said was closed to maritime traffic after the start of the air campaign on 28 February.

When asked on April 1 whether he would withdraw from NATO, Trump told Reuters: “Ne le feriez-vous pas à ma place ?”

NATO’s position, as reported by the BBC, is that there are “no provisions” in its treaties that foresee the suspension or expulsion of member states after reports that the U.S. could try to suspend Spain.

The BBC also reports that a NATO official said the alliance’s founding treaty “does not provide any provision for suspending alliance members or expelling them.”

Bladi.net

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez dismissed the reporting, telling journalists: “We do not work on the basis of emails. We work with official documents and official positions taken, in this case, by the United States government.”

In the same BBC account, Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson responded to Reuters by saying, “they were not there for us,” and added that the Department of Defense would ensure the president has “credible options” for allies to “stop being a paper tiger”.

The BBC further notes that the United States has two military bases in Spain—“the Naval Station Rota and Morón Air Base”—as the dispute over support for the war against Iran plays out.

Beyond Spain, the internal Pentagon email described by Reuters also includes a possible review of U.S. diplomatic support for Britain’s claim to the Falkland Islands, which Argentina also claims, with the BBC reporting that the email suggested reviewing the U.S. position on “the Falkland Islands.”

“The war in the Middle East is upending geopolitical balances all the way to the Western Mediterranean”

Courrier international

The Reuters-based reporting says ABO rights are described in the email as “the absolute minimum for NATO,” and links the contemplated sanctions to allies’ refusal to grant the United States access, basing, and overflight rights in the war against Iran.

The dispute is tied to the Strait of Hormuz, where Reuters reports Trump criticized allies for not sending naval forces to help unblock the strait, which he said was closed to international navigation after the start of the American-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic on February 28.

In the BBC account, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said: “We do not count on Europe,” adding that “they need the Strait of Hormuz much more than we do.”

The stakes extend to alliance cohesion and future cooperation, with the BBC reporting that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni urged NATO allies to stay united after the Pentagon memorandum, calling the alliance a “source of strength.”