Europeans bow to US basing demands for Iran war, Spain holds out

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Monday that European nations have "gotten the message" from US President Donald Trump and are now implementing basing agreements for the Iran war. Rutte told reporters at a European Political Community summit in Armenia that European allies who had previously been reluctant are now ensuring bilateral basing agreements are being fulfilled. Spain remains the notable exception, having stated that military bases on its territory cannot be used for the war, but Rutte said nations including Montenegro, Croatia, Romania, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Britain, France, and Germany are all complying with requests for basing and logistical support. The statements came as the US announced plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, part of what European officials see as Trump's pressure campaign on allies. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the timing of the troop withdrawal announcement came as a surprise and underscored the need to strengthen Europe's role within NATO. "American troops are not in Europe only for protecting European interests, but also American interests," Kallas said, signaling Europe may need to take on more responsibility. Rutte also said European nations are "more and more" pre-positioning assets such as minehunters and minesweepers near the Gulf in anticipation of a "next phase," and multiple countries have expressed willingness to participate in a freedom of navigation mission through the Strait of Hormuz once the conflict ends. Separately, Reuters reported that a Pentagon email circulating at high levels outlined options for punishing NATO allies perceived as failing to support US operations in the Iran war. Options included suspending Spain from the alliance and reviewing the US position on Britain's claim to the Falkland Islands. The email stated that access, basing, and overflight rights represent "the absolute baseline for NATO," according to a US official who described the document.