Alliances

Nato, Trump wants to expel Spain for non-support in Iran. But the treaty forbids it

Washington considers punitive measures against Madrid, which has denied the use of its military bases for attacks against Tehran. But the Nato Treaty does not provide for the possibility of suspending an ally

24 April 2026

La bandiera degli Stati Uniti e quella della Nato REUTERS

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Trump wants to punish 'non-aligned' countries over the Iran war by expelling them from Nato. An internal Pentagon email, circulated to senior levels of the US defence department, outlines a number of options to 'punish' Nato allies that Washington believes have not supported US military operations in the war against Iran. This was revealed by Reuters, citing an anonymous US official.

The options include the suspension of countries deemed 'difficult' from important or prestigious positions in the Alliance. Spain is mentioned as a specific case: Madrid has banned the use of its military bases - including Naval Station Rota and Morón airbase - and its airspace for attacks against Iran, a choice motivated by the socialist government of Sanchez with respect for international law.

Trump minaccia di interrompere gli scambi commerciali con la Spagna

Spain and UK in Trump's crosshairs

According to the quoted official, the suspension of Spain from NATO would have a limited operational impact on American military activities, but a very significant symbolic weight. The aim of the 'punitive' measures would be to send a strong signal to European allies and counter what Washington perceives as a 'sense of entitlement' on the part of Europe towards the American security umbrella.

A potentially much broader option towards the United Kingdom then crops up: reconsidering American diplomatic support for Europe's so-called 'imperial possessions', with explicit reference to the Falkland Islands, administered by London but claimed by President Javier Milei's Argentina, considered by Trump to be an ally. The 1982 war between Argentina and Britain over the islands cost the lives of 650 Argentine and 255 British soldiers.

Trump has already attacked British PM Starmer - 'no Winston Churchill' - for his reluctance to join military operations against Iran, and described British aircraft carriers as 'toys'. London initially denied the use of its bases for offensive attacks, later granting defensive missions.

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Podemos: 'Government withdraws Spain from NATO for consistency'

Reacting to the news, the general secretary of the left-wing force Podemos, Ione Belarra, urged Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to 'immediately exit NATO' with 'a sovereign decision', as it would be 'a huge humiliation' if US President Donald Trump expelled the country from the Alliance, following Reuters rumours to that effect.

"What worries me most is the response of the president" Pedro Sanchez, Belarra added. "As we said this week" in Congress, "I believe that our country, a country that considers itself a democracy, has the right and the duty to open a debate" on remaining in the Atlantic Alliance "and we Spaniards must be able to decide whether or not we want to be part of the same geopolitical team as Mr Trump".

For the Podemos exponent, membership of the Alliance represents 'an enormous risk, it converts us into a military target and also into accomplices of all the atrocities that Trump and Netanyahu are committing around the world'.

Leaving Nato 'immediately', according to Belarra, would be a decision 'consistent' with the 'no to war' promoted by Sanchez, which - according to the radical leftist - 'has not been translated into concrete actions and it would be a huge humiliation for them to kick us out' of the Alliance 'instead of us leaving, which is what we have to do', he concluded.

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NATO treaty: no suspension of one of the allies

Many observers in Spain and outside point out that the NATO treaties do not provide for the expulsion of a member by the Alliance, but only the possibility of a member state leaving it.

"The NATO Treaty does not provide for the possibility of suspending a member state. It only foresees in Article 13 the possibility that a State decides to withdraw from the Alliance and, therefore, denounce the Treaty'. This was pointed out by Juan Santos Vara, professor of international law at the University of Salamanca, to the public broadcaster Tve, following rumours by Reuters about the United States' intention to suspend Spain from the Atlantic Alliance.

The lecturer pointed out that the United States 'exerts a certain leadership in NATO', because although the Secretary General of the Alliance is generally a European, 'whoever exercises military command is always an American'. Therefore, 'it is possible that some political pressure can be exerted using the available channels, for example by marginalising Spain from strategic decisions in the Alliance's decision-making bodies'.

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But 'an exclusion cannot materialise', noted Santos Vera. And 'there is no historical precedent of a country withdrawing from the treaty'.

Among the possible consequences of Donald Trump's repeated 'warnings' to Madrid, the expert pointed to the possibility that the US administration 'may limit bilateral military cooperation' with Spain. That is, review the agreements on the joint use of bases. According to Santos Vara, 'Trump has caused confusion by giving the impression that allies may implicate themselves in this conflict. This is not the case', since 'Nato is a defensive alliance'.