Spain 'reliable' NATO member, PM Sánchez says amid report of US ouster threat
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Spain 'reliable' NATO member, PM Sánchez says amid report of US ouster threat")
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez speaks to journalists as he arrives for an informal meeting of the European Council in Nicosia on April 24, 2026. Photograph: (AFP)
Spain, along with countries such as France and Italy, refused to allow US aircraft to use their territory, widening divisions within the alliance.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Friday (April 24) asserted that Spain remains a “reliable member” of NATO, pushing back against reports that the United States was considering punitive steps, including a possible suspension, over Madrid’s refusal to support military operations against Iran.
Speaking during a visit to Cyprus for a European Union summit, Sánchez dismissed concerns triggered by a Reuters report citing an anonymous US official as telling it that the Pentagon had outlined the suspension option in an email looking at ways to punish NATO allies that steered clear of the US-Israeli war against Iran.
“Spain is a reliable member within NATO,” Sánchez said, adding that the country is fulfilling all its obligations. “As a result, I am absolutely not worried.”
The Spanish leader further underlined that his government responds only to formal positions. “We don’t work on the basis of emails; we work off official documents and the position that the United States government has set out,” he said.
The reported Pentagon communication reflects growing frustration in Washington with some European allies for denying access to bases and airspace for operations linked to the Iran conflict. Spain, along with countries such as France and Italy, refused to allow US aircraft to use their territory, widening divisions within the alliance.
However, NATO’s founding treaty contains no provision to suspend or expel a member, making any such move legally unclear. The alliance, which operates by consensus among its 32 members, has also maintained that it has no direct operational role in the Iran war.
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US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised NATO partners for not backing Washington’s military campaign and efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route disrupted during the conflict.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also weighed in, stressing that NATO unity must be preserved, calling it a “source of strength”.
Sánchez reiterated that Spain supports cooperation with allies but only within international law, highlighting deepening strains within NATO as the Iran conflict reshapes transatlantic relations.
