Nicosia, 24 April 2026 (dpa/MIA) - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stressed his country's loyalty to the NATO military alliance on Friday in response to media reports that the US was planning to suspend Spain's NATO membership.

"The position of the Spanish government is clear: absolute cooperation with allies," Sánchez told journalists at an EU summit in Cyprus.

However, he added that this cooperation could only take place "within the framework of international law."

Sánchez is one of the sharpest critics in Europe of the US-Israeli war against Iran, and has faced verbal attacks from US President Donald Trump on several occasions.

According to an unconfirmed media report by Spanish daily El País, a memo is circulating at the Pentagon proposing measures against "difficult" NATO members that had not supported the US military in the war against Iran.

In Spain's case, a suspension of membership in the defence alliance was mentioned, El País reported.

A NATO official however ruled out such a scenario, saying "NATO's founding treaty does not foresee any provisions for the suspension of NATO membership or expulsion."

The government in Madrid has described the war against Iran as "illegal" and has prohibited the US from using military bases in the south of the country for attacks on Iran.

It also closed its airspace to US military aircraft taking part in attacks.

Diplomatic shift over Falklands

The memo apparently mentions the United Kingdom on the subject of changing the US' pro-British stance on Argentina's claim to the Falklands in the South Atlantic.

London had initially also prohibited the use of military bases in its own country for attacks on Iran.

The memo suggests reassessing US ‌diplomatic support for "imperial possessions" such as the Falklands, according to the Press Association.

The potential for a shift in the US position has been considered in the Foreign Office, although it has been treated as a "hypothetical scenario."

A spokesman for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that the British position on the Falkands "is clear and isn't going to change."

"The Falkland Islands have hugely voted overwhelmingly in favour of remaining a UK overseas territory," he added.

Photo: EPA