Spanish President Pedro Sanchez dismissed reporting claiming that the Pentagon is considering suspending the country from NATO.
Speaking to press in Cyprus, where he is attending a summit of EU leaders, Sanchez said the country is "fulfilling our obligations toward NATO."
"The Spanish government's position is clear: absolute cooperation with our allies, but always within the framework of international law," he added.
Sanchez rejected discussing the document in the reporting, claiming that the Spanish government "does not comment on emails, but rather on official documents and positions taken, in this case, by the United States."
The report in question noted that other possibilities being considered by the Pentagon are reviewing the U.S. position on Britain's claim to the Falkland Islands and suspending "difficult" countries from relevant positions at the alliance. The email does not contemplate the closure of U.S. bases in Europe.
An official familiar with the matter told the outlet that access, basing and overflight rights (known as ABO) is "just the absolute baseline for NATO. Spain has prevented the U.S. from using jointly operated military bases in the country or its airspace for purposes related to the war in Iran.
Another report has claimed that the White House has compiled a list of countries that are not perceived to be helpful to the country's war effort. The list is divided into tiers based on their perceived support.
Politico noted that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had already suggested such a move in December. "Model allies that step up, like Israel, South Korea, Poland, increasingly Germany, the Baltics and others, will receive our special favor," he said back then. "Allies that still fail to do their part for collective defense will face consequences."
Asked about the matter, a Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson claimed: "As President Trump has said, despite everything that the United States has done for our NATO allies, they were not there for us.
"The War Department will ensure that the President has credible options to ensure that our allies are no longer a paper tiger and instead do their part. We have no further comment on any internal deliberations to that effect," Wilson added.
NATO allies are working on plans to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blockaded by Iran since the beginning of the war, and most recently the U.S.
France and the U.K. are leading efforts to form a multinational naval mission to secure shipping in the key waterway, with the former hosting military planners from 30 countries to discuss how they could implement such a plan.
However, the U.K. noted that such an operation would be carried "following a sustainable ceasefire agreement."
There has not been tangible progress in negotiations, but on Friday the White House announced that special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel to Pakistan to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
