The bombshell came through a Reuters leak. An internal US Department of Defense email lays out options for punishing NATO allies that did not back Washington’s military operations against Iran. On the table are the suspension of Spain and a review of the US stance on British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.

Madrid became the main source of frustration. Pedro Sánchez’s government closed its airspace and denied the use of the Rota and Morón bases for strikes on Iran. Defense Minister Margarita Robles put it bluntly: “Neither the bases are authorized, nor, of course, the use of Spanish airspace for any actions related to the war in Iran.”

Trump fired back by calling Spain “a terrible ally” and threatening to cut off trade. According to the leaked memo, Washington wants to send “a strong signal” to the European bloc and dial down the “sense of entitlement” it believes the allies on this side of the Atlantic have developed.

Legal reality slows the blow. The United States cannot kick a country out of NATO on its own: collective agreement is required and no clear suspension mechanism exists. The Pentagon itself denied it works off that email, though the document reflects the real tone of the internal debate.