--- title: "Spain's NATO Tensions with Washington | Model Diplomat" description: "Spain is treating friction with Washington over military access and defense cooperation as a bilateral matter, testing strains within the NATO alliance." url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/story/spains-nato-tensions-with-washington-a-bilateral-issue" --- # Spain's NATO Tensions with Washington Exploring the dynamics of Spain's NATO relationship with the U.S. Model DiplomatMay 2, 20262 min readEurope [BBCNato says 'no provision' to expel members after report US could seek to suspend Spain](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz78x703lrvo?bcmt=1)[France 24Sanchez brushes off reported Pentagon email mulling suspending Spain's NATO membership - France 24](https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20260424-sanchez-brushes-off-reported-pentagon-email-mulling-suspending-spain-s-nato-membership)[Politico EuropeSánchez dismisses US notion of suspending Spain from NATO – POLITICO](https://www.politico.eu/article/pedro-sanchez-donald-trump-nato-spain-nato-membership/)[Anchal Vohra Brussels-based European correspondentNATO members step up spending, but doubts about US remain](https://dw.com/en/nato-members-step-up-spending-but-doubts-about-us-remain/a-73041273) ## Spain’s NATO Clash With Washington Is Really Bilateral *Pedro Sánchez is downplaying a reported Pentagon threat because NATO cannot suspend Spain; Washington’s real leverage is military access, not alliance law.* **Pedro Sánchez** moved quickly to narrow the damage after AP reported he brushed aside questions over a reported Pentagon email that discussed punishing **Spain** and even floated suspending it from **NATO**.\[[AP News](https://apnews.com/article/us-nato-spain-iran-war-suspend-punish-415da08554d8e882bdf8851229d5d1ce "apnews.com")] That response was strategic: the reported threat sounds dramatic, but the alliance itself is not where **Washington** holds the strongest cards. **NATO has no provision to suspend or expel a member**, according to alliance officials and multiple reports on the leaked memo.\[[BBC News](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz78x703lrvo?bcmt=1 "bbc.com")]\[[POLITICO](https://www.politico.eu/article/pedro-sanchez-donald-trump-nato-spain-nato-membership/ "politico.eu")] ## The leverage is access, not membership The reported memo’s more credible pressure points were **access, basing and overflight rights** — the practical permissions the U.S. needs for military operations and can contest bilaterally if an ally refuses cooperation.\[[BBC News](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz78x703lrvo?bcmt=1 "bbc.com")] That matters because reports say **Spain refused U.S. requests to allow its territory to be used for operations tied to the Iran war**, while Sánchez insisted Spain would cooperate with allies only “within international law.”\[[France 24](https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20260424-sanchez-brushes-off-reported-pentagon-email-mulling-suspending-spain-s-nato-membership "france24.com")]\[[AP News](https://apnews.com/article/us-nato-spain-iran-war-suspend-punish-415da08554d8e882bdf8851229d5d1ce "apnews.com")] That is why Sánchez chose to dismiss the email rather than litigate it in public. Treating a leaked internal memo as official policy would only elevate a U.S. pressure tactic that, for now, remains outside NATO procedure. For Madrid, the gain is domestic and diplomatic: it shows Spain will not accept public coercion while avoiding an open break with the alliance. For Washington, the benefit of leaking or signaling such options is deterrence — reminding allies that the U.S. can impose costs without rewriting the North Atlantic Treaty. ## Spain is an easy target because it looks vulnerable Spain’s problem is not just this Iran dispute. It has long been exposed on **burden-sharing**. The **BBC** identified Spain as **NATO’s lowest defense spender in 2024, at about 1.2% of GDP**, making it politically easier for U.S. officials to frame Madrid as an unreliable ally.\[[BBC News](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg3082d3ero "bbc.com")] Later alliance data cited by **POLITICO** showed Spain at roughly **2% of GDP in 2025**, but still near the bottom tier of allied spenders.\[[POLITICO](https://www.politico.eu/article/nato-countries-hit-2025-spending-target/ "politico.eu")] In other words, the Iran fight lands on top of an existing credibility gap. That makes this more than a one-off quarrel in [Global Politics](https://modeldiplomat.com/discover/general "modeldiplomat.com"). It is also a test of how far the [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/usa "modeldiplomat.com") can use bilateral military dependence to discipline a NATO ally when treaty mechanisms are unavailable. ## What to watch next The next real decision point is whether the **U.S. turns a leaked memo into a formal demand** on basing, access or overflight. If it does, Spain will have to choose between preserving strategic ambiguity and openly refusing operational support. Watch other allies too: **Germany** has already said Spain’s membership is not in question, while **Italy** has urged unity.\[[BBC News](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz78x703lrvo?bcmt=1 "bbc.com")] If major European capitals keep this framed as a bilateral U.S.-Spain dispute rather than a NATO disciplinary case, Sánchez keeps room to maneuver — and Washington’s leverage stays narrower than the headline suggests. 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