The United Kingdom pushed back Friday against reports that President Trump is considering using NATO reprisals to pressure allies over Iran, with officials and opposition leaders alike forcefully restating British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.
A Reuters report, citing an unnamed US official, revealed an internal Pentagon email outlining options for the US to reassess its position on what it termed “imperial possessions,” specifically mentioning the UK’s control of the Falklands near Argentina. The email also suggested suspending Spain from NATO after Madrid barred US military aircraft from using its bases for operations in Iran.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper took to social media platform X to assert that “the Falklands Islands are British – sovereignty rests with the UK, self-determination rests with the islanders.” Her statement was echoed by Conservative Party Leader Kemi Badenoch, who posted a video on X declaring British sovereignty over the Falklands “no matter what Donald Trump says.”
“I don’t know what Donald Trump is talking about,” Badenoch said. “This sounds like the sort of thing he was talking about when it came to Greenland. I don’t think we need to take it that seriously just yet.” She added that the UK must remain “very determined in protecting British sovereign territory, and that includes the Falkland Islands and the Chagos,” referencing the paused transfer of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius—a deal that has angered Trump.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, a frequent Trump ally, also weighed in on X, writing that the Falklands “are and will always be British.” The Hill has reached out to NATO for comment, while the White House referred inquiries to the Defense Department. The State Department’s website currently describes the Falklands as administered by the UK but claimed by Argentina.
Argentinian President Javier Milei, in a radio interview shared Friday on X, said his country was doing “everything humanly possible so that the Argentine Malvinas, the islands, the entire territory return to the hands of Argentina.”
The Pentagon email also proposed suspending Spain from NATO, though the official did not disclose how the US would pursue that. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, speaking at an EU summit in Cyprus, dismissed the report, telling Agence France-Presse that Spain is a “reliable member” of NATO and that he was “absolutely not worried” about its status. “We don’t work on the basis of emails, we work off official documents and the position that the United States government has set out in this case,” Sánchez said, adding that Spain has supported “full cooperation with its allies, but always within the framework of international law.”
Trump’s frustration with both allies boiled over last month after the UK and Spain hesitated to fully back US operations against Iran. The president said he ordered Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to “cut off all dealings with Spain” and slammed UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the Chagos Islands deal. The US and UK jointly operate the Diego Garcia military base in that archipelago. “This is not Winston Churchill,” Trump said, contrasting Starmer with the wartime leader.
The episode underscores growing strains within the NATO alliance as Trump pursues an aggressive military posture in Iran. For more on how the administration’s Iran strategy is reshaping alliances, see our report on Hegseth defending Iran operations amid papal criticism. Meanwhile, domestic political fallout continues, with a new poll showing 77% of voters blame Trump for rising gas prices during the crisis.
