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By Ellie Cook
Senior Defense Reporter
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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the U.S. may "reexamine" its role in NATO after several European countries limited U.S. military access to bases and airspace for strikes on Iran.
Italy blocked U.S. bombers bound for the Middle East from landing at one of its bases in recent days, while President Donald Trump lambasted France, accusing Paris of closing its airspace to planes carrying weapons to Israel. Israel said on Tuesday it was cutting off all defense purchases from France.
Spain, one of NATO's harshest critics of the Iran war, shuttered its airspace to all U.S. military flights after confirming it had barred Washington from using two jointly-operated airbases in southern Spain for attacks on Iran.
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European bases are often used as stop-over points for U.S. aircraft en route to the Middle East. Losing access to these facilities could force American aircraft to make longer journeys or change logistics arrangements that underpin all missions in the region.
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“If, now, we have reached a point where the NATO alliance means we can’t use those bases...to defend America’s interests, then NATO is a one-way street," Rubio told Fox News host Sean Hannity.
"Why are we NATO?" Rubio continued. "There's no doubt, unfortunately, after this conflict is concluded, we’re going to have to reexamine that relationship."
The U.S.-Israeli bombardment of Iran, now well into its fifth week, has strained tumultuous relations between Washington and its European allies in NATO, drawing criticism even from Trump's right-wing political ally, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Trump is a long-time critic of NATO, although European pledges to dramatically increase defense spending and lean less on the U.S. in June 2025 appeared to waylay concerns the Republican could pull America from the alliance. Transatlantic relations dipped again when the U.S. insisted it would would take control of Greenland, a semi-autonomous part of NATO member Denmark, despite a horrified reaction from European officials.
NATO leaders have repeatedly said the alliance is not involved in the Iran war, many of its members distancing themselves from the conflict that began when U.S. and Israeli forces attacked Iran on February 28.
A White House official told Newsweek on Monday, shortly after Spain confirmed its airspace was off-limits to U.S. military flights, that Washington "does not need help from Spain or anyone else." Spain and Italy on Tuesday attempted to play down friction with the U.S. and said relations were unchanged.
Iran's retaliatory attacks on Israel and U.S. allies in the Gulf for more than a month have wreaked havoc on global travel, international markets and oil prices.
Trump said on Tuesday U.S. operations in Iran could finish in "two weeks, maybe three," telling reporters a deal with Iran to end the war is "irrelevant."
The president has repeatedly threatened Iran with overwhelming attacks if it fails to sign a deal to end the war, while also insisting the U.S. was engaging in talks with Iranian officials.
In separate comments, Trump took aim at American allies that resisted becoming involved in the war, saying they should "build up some delayed courage" and deploy forces to the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane.
Iran has effectively cut off maritime traffic in the waterway, through which one-fifth of the world's oil and gas usually flows, since the opening salvos of the war.
It's proved to be one of Tehran's most effective tactics, putting ever-growing pressure on the U.S. to fully reopen the strait as global fuel prices remain high and markets yo-yo because of concerns over supplies.
Trump has called NATO countries "cowards" over the alliance's lack of support for the war, including in the Strait of Hormuz.
"You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us," Trump said in a post to his Truth Social platform on Tuesday. "Go get your own oil!"
Update 4/1/2026, 4:30 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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