Pentagon email obtained by Reuters reveals US anger at Spain, UK as Iran war tensions persist.<\/p>\n
An email has circulated within the United States Defense Department laying out potential measures the US could take against NATO allies it believes have not sufficiently supported its war on Iran<\/a>, such as Spain and the United Kingdom, according to a US official quoted by the Reuters news agency.<\/p>\n The internal email considers options such as suspending Spain from NATO and re-evaluating Washington\u2019s stance on the British Falkland Islands, which are also claimed by Argentina<\/a>, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list<\/p>\n The email, which alleges \u201ca sense of entitlement on the part of the Europeans\u201d, is intended as a signal to NATO partners, according to the official.<\/p>\n Suspending Spain from the bloc would carry strong symbolic weight with little operational consequence to the US military, the email says.<\/p>\n Asked about the email while at an EU leaders\u2019 meeting in Cyprus on Friday, Spanish \u2060\u2060Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Madrid is a \u201creliable member\u201d of NATO that meets all its obligations.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a result, I am absolutely not worried,\u201d he said. \u201cWe do not work with emails. We work with official documents and positions taken, in this case, by the government of the US.<\/p>\n \u201cThe position of the government of Spain is clear: absolute collaboration with the allies, but always within the framework of international legality.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer hit back, saying the UK\u2019s position on the Falkland Islands is longstanding and \u201cunchanged\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cSovereignty rests with the UK and the islands\u2019 \u200cright to self-determination is paramount. It\u2019s been our consistent position and will remain the case,\u201d the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n Britain and Argentina fought a brief war in 1982 over \u2060the islands after Argentina made a failed bid to take them. Some 650 Argentine and \u2060255 British service personnel died before Argentina \u2060surrendered.<\/p>\n Asked if Starmer thought the email was an attempt by the US to put pressure on him to join the Iran war, the spokesperson said: \u201cPressure does not affect him, and he \u200cwill \u200calways act in the national interest, and that will always remain the case.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Baseline for NATO\u2019<\/p>\n US officials have raged at European allies for refusing or hesitating to allow the use of their bases for attacks on Iran.<\/p>\n Spain has refused to let the US<\/a> wage attacks on Iran from its airspace or bases. Trump called Spain \u201cterrible\u201d<\/a> and threatened to end all trade with the country.<\/p>\n The US president has also slammed UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer as \u201cno Winston Churchill\u201d and mocked Britain\u2019s aircraft carriers as \u201ctoys\u201d while condemning what he views as insufficient support.<\/p>\n