In an interview with Al Jazeera, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed his disappointment regarding NATO and its members concerning military actions against Iran. Rubio pointed out that after the current operations conclude, Washington plans to reassess its commitments and the format of interaction within the North Atlantic Alliance. The main sticking point has been the unwillingness of some European countries to provide their bases and airspace to support the U.S. and Israel.
The Secretary of State emphasized that strategic flexibility and access to infrastructure in different regions are important for the United States. However, at the moment when a direct threat to national security arose, some NATO members, particularly Spain, closed their airspace to American planes participating in operations against Iran and refused to provide their bases. Rubio noted that if the alliance operates solely to defend Europe and does not support U.S. interests, such cooperation loses its appeal for Washington.
Tensions escalated after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez publicly opposed military intervention and called for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. In response, President Donald Trump threatened Madrid with the termination of trade relations. Secretary of State Rubio concluded that the practice of denying access to bases raises doubts about the feasibility of further U.S. participation in NATO in its current format.
