Rubio says US may need to 'reexamine' NATO membership after allies blocked basing, airspace help

Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Tuesday that the U.S. may need to "reexamine" its role in NATO after key allies refused to allow American forces to use bases and airspace during Operation Epic Fury.

"If now we have reached a point where the NATO alliance means that we can't use those bases, that, in fact, that we can no longer use those bases to defend America's interests, then NATO is a one-way street. Then NATO is simply about us having troops in Europe to defend Europe," Rubio said on "Hannity."

He continued, "But… when we need them to allow us to use their military bases, their answer is no? Then why are we in NATO? You have to ask that question."

Rubio pressed the point, telling Fox News that there is "no doubt" that the U.S. must "reexamine" its relationship with the alliance once the Iran conflict has concluded, but deferred to President Trump's ultimate decision-making authority on the matter.

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"We're going to finish the job here [in Iran]," Rubio added.

"We're very, very close to achieving our objectives on all of these things that I've outlined, but I do think, unfortunately, we are going to have to reexamine whether or not this alliance that has served this country well for a while, [whether it's] still serving that purpose, or has it now become a one-way street where America is simply in a position to defend Europe? But when we need the help of our allies, they're going to deny us basing rights, and they're going to deny us overflight."

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Rubio’s remarks come amid growing frustration within the Trump administration over what officials see as European allies failing to support U.S. military operations at a critical moment, particularly as Washington moves to dismantle Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities.

The Secretary of State emphasized that the U.S. was not asking NATO partners to participate directly in combat, but simply to provide access to existing infrastructure — a longstanding pillar of the alliance.

The tensions stem in part from decisions by several European allies that have entered the administration's crosshairs — including Spain and France — after restricting or denying U.S. access to key bases and airspace during the early phases of the operation.

Spain, for instance, closed its airspace to U.S. planes involved in the Iran war, while President Trump has slammed France because the country "wouldn’t let planes headed to Israel, loaded up with military supplies, fly over French territory," adding in a Truth Social post that the longtime ally has been "VERY UNHELPFUL." 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.