An internal Pentagon email that has circulated among senior officials lays out punitive options the United States could deploy against NATO members it says declined to grant basing, overflight and access rights - collectively referred to in the memo as ABO - for U.S. operations in the war with Iran.
The email, described to Reuters by a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the document, frames ABO as the minimum expected behavior within the alliance. The memo states that ABO is "just the absolute baseline for NATO," and proposes a range of responses intended to signal firm U.S. displeasure with allies the authors deem uncooperative.
Among the measures sketched out is the possible suspension of "difficult" countries from important or prestigious positions within NATO. The note argues such a step would have limited operational impact on U.S. military activity but could carry substantial symbolic weight.
The memo also lists a provocative diplomatic option: reassessing long-standing U.S. diplomatic support for certain European-held territories, naming the Falkland Islands as an example. The document notes that the islands are administered by the United Kingdom but are claimed by Argentina. The memo does not outline mechanics for how any of these measures would be implemented, and the official who discussed the email said there was no immediate suggestion to withdraw the United States from NATO or to close bases in Europe.
President Donald Trump has publicly criticized NATO allies for not contributing naval forces to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz after the strait was closed to global shipping following the start of the air war on February 28. Trump has also said he is contemplating a possible U.S. withdrawal from the alliance - a step the email itself does not advance.
Asked about the memo, Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson said the War Department will provide the president with credible options to ensure allies "are no longer a paper tiger and instead do their part." Wilson added, "As President Trump has said, despite everything that the United States has done for our NATO allies, they were not there for us. 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."
The administration's frustration is particularly acute with Spain, according to the official and the memo. Spanish Socialist leadership explicitly declined to permit its bases or airspace to be used for attacks on Iran. The United States operates two significant military installations in Spain - Naval Station Rota and Morón Air Base - and the memo frames a suspension of Spain from certain NATO roles as a message to other allies about the consequences of denying access.
Other allies have also been cautious. Britain and France, among others, have said that participating in a U.S.-led naval blockade would amount to entering the war. Those countries have indicated willingness to assist in keeping the Strait open after a durable ceasefire or once active hostilities end. The memo reflects the administration view that NATO should not be a one-way street and that allied reluctance to grant ABO has strained expectations within the U.S. leadership.
The document also contemplates the political effects of various measures. It argues that removing a noncompliant member from a high-profile NATO position would carry strong symbolic force even if it did not materially impede U.S. military operations. The note is described as one of a set of internal deliberations being circulated at high levels in the Pentagon to ensure the president has a range of options.
On the question of shifting U.S. military posture in Europe more broadly, the official declined to confirm whether the memo included an anticipated U.S. drawdown of forces from the continent. The email, as presented to Reuters, does not call for base closures or explicitly recommend withdrawal from NATO, but it does reflect an inclination to explore punitive and diplomatic levers where access has been denied.
The memo’s suggestion to reassess diplomatic support for "imperial possessions" mentions the Falkland Islands as an example. The islands are administered by the United Kingdom but are claimed by Argentina, whose president is identified in the memo as politically aligned with the U.S. president. The note does not set out specific policy steps for any change in U.S. backing.
President Trump has been sharply critical of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for declining to join U.S. operations against Iran, calling him "No Winston Churchill" and describing British carriers as "toys." The United Kingdom initially declined a U.S. request to allow strikes against Iran from two British bases, later agreeing to permit defensive missions aimed at protecting people in the region, including British nationals, amid Iranian retaliation.
Addressing reporters at the Pentagon earlier in April, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said "a lot has been laid bare" by the war with Iran, noting that while Iran's longer-range missiles cannot reach the United States, they can strike targets in Europe. Hegseth warned that if allies raise "questions, or roadblocks, or hesitations" it undermines alliance cohesion, stating, "You don’t have much of an alliance if you have countries that are not willing to stand with you when you need them."
Below are the central takeaways and the uncertainties related to the memo and its potential effects.
- Summary: A high-level Pentagon email details possible punitive responses against NATO members perceived to have denied the United States basing, overflight and access rights for operations in the Iran conflict. Proposed measures range from removing countries from key NATO roles to reevaluating U.S. diplomatic support for contested territories; the memo is described as an options paper rather than a set of firm policy decisions.
- Key points:
- The memo frames ABO as the baseline expectation for NATO and recommends options aimed at reducing a perceived European "sense of entitlement." Sectors affected could include defense, logistics and maritime shipping given the focus on access and the Strait of Hormuz.
- Spain is highlighted for refusing to allow its bases or airspace to be used for attacks on Iran; the United States has significant military facilities there in Rota and Morón. This raises operational and symbolic concerns tied to forward basing and alliance support.
- The email proposes a review of long-standing diplomatic positions toward certain European-administered territories, using the Falkland Islands as an example. Such diplomatic recalibrations would be largely symbolic but could carry geopolitical consequences.
- Risks and uncertainties:
- Unclear implementation - The memo does not define mechanisms for suspending a NATO member from roles or for altering U.S. diplomatic positions, leaving legal and procedural questions unresolved. This ambiguity affects defense planners and diplomatic services.
- Alliance cohesion - Public consideration of punitive measures risks escalating tensions within NATO and could undermine collective deterrence and coordination, with potential consequences for defense contractors and regional security-focused markets.
- Operational impact uncertain - While the memo argues some steps would be more symbolic than operational, it is unclear whether further internal deliberations might include changes in force posture in Europe, which could affect military logistics and host-nation arrangements.
The document is part of broader deliberations in the Pentagon about how to respond to allied decisions that the U.S. leadership views as unsupportive of American operations in the Iran conflict. Officials emphasize the goal of presenting the president with credible options rather than dictating a single course of action.