An internal Pentagon email circulated this week by Elbridge Colby, the U.S. Defense Department’s top policy adviser, examined options for punishing NATO allies that refused to support recent American military operations against Iran. The email, revealed to Reuters by an unnamed U.S. official, also included a proposal to suspend Spain from the alliance.
The memo reportedly reflects frustration inside the Trump administration that several allies, including Spain, denied U.S. forces access and overflight rights during the ongoing conflict in Iran. Spain quickly made headlines over the disagreements because it hosts major American military facilities. And while the internal email clearly indicates anger in Washington, the chances of Spain being expelled from NATO any time soon appear slim.
Why Spain Is Under Pressure
According to an April 24 Reuters report, Colby’s internal email explored suspending Spain from NATO and removing obstructive allies from prestigious NATO positions. Reuters reported the memo described ABO – access, basing, and overflight rights – as the “absolute baseline for NATO.” It means that while the White House has publicly expressed frustration with NATO allies for refusing to take an active supporting role in the conflict, officials are equally angry that partners like Spain hinder the U.S. military’s ability to conduct strikes against Iran.
Spain’s role in the matter is particularly notable because the country hosts two strategically important U.S. facilities. Naval Station Rota, in southern Spain, supports forward-deployed U.S. Navy destroyers and maritime operations in Europe and the Mediterranean. Morón Air Base, near Seville, has long been used for air mobility and Marine crisis-response missions into Africa and the Middle East. A dispute over wartime access to these American bases is taken seriously in Washington because it calls into question the entire purpose of the facilities, and raises doubts about whether they will be usable in the next conflict.
When approached for comment, Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson reiterated the White House’s frustration with NATO allies.
“As President Trump has said, despite everything that the United States has done for our NATO allies, they were not there for us,” Wilson said.
Wilson also seemed to suggest that the email was legitimate, or at least that the White House was exploring options to ensure NATO partners do not prevent U.S. access to bases or to European airspace in the future.
“The War Department will ensure that the President has credible options to ensure that our allies are no longer a paper tiger and instead do their part. We have no further comment on any internal deliberations to that effect.”
Trump and Spain Were Already Butting Heads
The Iran dispute was not the first disagreement between Washington and Madrid. At the June 2025 NATO summit in The Hague, allies backed a new long-term target of spending 5% of GDP on defense and related security measures by 2035 – a measure long advocated by President Trump. Spain was the most vocal opponent to the idea, resisting the benchmark entirely. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the figure was “disproportionate and unnecessary,” arguing that Spain could meet alliance capability commitments at a lower level of spending. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte granted Spain a special concession, allowing its government to increase military spending to just 2.1% of GDP.
Following the summit, President Trump made his disapproval known, calling Spain the “only country that refuses to pay” and suggesting that Spain should be thrown out of NATO. But if Trump’s frustration does become a full-fledged effort to remove the country from the alliance, it will be a long and arduous process – and it’s unlikely to succeed.
NATO Has No Easy Way to Remove Spain
The central reason Spain is unlikely to be expelled is simple: NATO was not designed with a straightforward expulsion clause. The North Atlantic Treaty’s Article 13 allows a member state to leave voluntarily one year after giving notice to the United States, which serves as the treaty depositary. It does not create a process for forcing another member out.
Because NATO’s founding treaty does not contain provisions for suspension or expulsion, Washington cannot simply decide Spain is out and make it happen. It can, however, apply pressure to other countries – or Spain, directly – in other ways.
Any attempt to create a removal mechanism would also trigger a major political battle among all 32 allies. NATO operates by consensus in many major decisions, and several governments would likely oppose rewriting the treaty during an ongoing confrontation with Russia and instability in the Middle East. Others might also worry that if Spain could be targeted today, another member could be next tomorrow.
There is also a military case against the idea. Spain sits on NATO’s southern flank and controls valuable territory along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. It also hosts infrastructure that the alliance already uses, and weakening that position to punish Madrid would carry a cost for NATO itself.
What Happens Now?
So, will Trump remove Spain from NATO?
Almost certainly no. But with more than two years left in office, the president could well seek to apply pressure on Madrid and other NATO allies to increase defense spending or to require U.S. access to bases in Spain during military operations.
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specializing in defense and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, producing and editing analysis for policy and defense audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at 19FortyFive and National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalization.
