Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at the U.S. Defense Department’s growing frustration with NATO, Hezbollah rejecting the Israel-Lebanon cease-fire, and bolstered ties between Colombia and Venezuela.

‘They Were Not There for Us’

The United States is considering punishing NATO allies that have failed to support U.S. military operations in the Iran war, a U.S. official told Reuters on Friday. These penalties could include the potential suspension of Spain’s NATO membership as well as Washington reviewing its position on Britain’s claim to the disputed Falkland Islands.

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at the U.S. Defense Department’s growing frustration with NATO, Hezbollah rejecting the Israel-Lebanon cease-fire, and bolstered ties between Colombia and Venezuela.

‘They Were Not There for Us’

The United States is considering punishing NATO allies that have failed to support U.S. military operations in the Iran war, a U.S. official told Reuters on Friday. These penalties could include the potential suspension of Spain’s NATO membership as well as Washington reviewing its position on Britain’s claim to the disputed Falkland Islands.

According to the unnamed official’s description of an internal Defense Department email prepared by the Pentagon’s chief policy advisor, Elbridge Colby, these punishments would be in response to European nations’ reluctance or refusal to allow U.S. forces to use their bases to launch attacks on Iran. Access, basing, and overflight rights are “just the absolute baseline for NATO,” Colby reportedly wrote, echoing U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated criticism that NATO is a “paper tiger” alliance for its refusal to help U.S. forces reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Foreign Policy has not independently confirmed the email.

Madrid and London have taken the brunt of the White House’s ire in recent weeks. Spain (along with Italy and France) have refused to let U.S. troops use their bases or airspace to strike Iran; the U.S. military has access to two key Spanish bases, Naval Station Rota ‌and Morón Air ⁠Base. In response, Trump threatened in March to “cut off all dealings” with Madrid, telling reporters, “We don’t want anything to do with Spain.”

Similarly, London initially refused to allow U.S. aircraft to attack Iran from two British bases. Although British Prime Minister Keir Starmer ultimately relented to allow access for defensive missions, the country’s hesitancy did not go unnoticed by Trump; last week, the U.S. president threatened to unravel parts of the U.S.-U.K. trade deal.

“As President Trump has said, despite everything that the United States has done for our NATO allies,........

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