The United States is considering whether to release Spain from NATO for refusing military support in the war against Iran, Reuters reported.
Reuter quoted a Trump administration official as saying on the 23rd local time that the Pentagon was discussing options to "punish" allies, including Spain, for failing to give away the so-called access, station, and navigation (ABO) authority to request support in military operations.
The options listed in the Pentagon's internal emails first included Spain's suspension of NATO qualifications and a review of the U.S. position on Britain's sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.
The move follows a previous message from European and U.S. officials that the Trump administration has drawn up a list of so-called "good allies" and "bad allies."
President Trump has been openly dissatisfied with Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz when he asked for military aid from his European allies and was rejected.
In fact, if these options are put into practice, it will effectively retaliate against the "uncooperative" alliance.
However, unlike President Trump's threats so far, the U.S. plan to withdraw from NATO is not directly mentioned in this option.
Reuters reported that the official declined to say whether the option to withdraw U.S. troops from Europe was included in the options.
Earlier, Spain completely denied U.S. military aircraft passing through Spanish airspace following the use of a joint U.S. military base last month.
In particular, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is considered the most powerful Western leader against President Trump.
Reuters added that it was not confirmed whether there was actually a process by which the United States could suspend NATO eligibility against Spain.
#Trump #NATO #NATO #NorthAtlanticTreaty #Spain #Hormuz
Yonhap News TV Article Statement and Report: Kakaotalk/Linejebo23
Kim Yerin yey@yna.co.kr
It seems they may be preparing a form of retaliation against Spain’s decision.
The reason they are pressuring others to join such an unreasonable and one-sided war like this may be because they themselves know it lacks legitimacy.
In many ways, this reflects how rapidly the international situation is changing.