US to Reassess Relationship with NATO Following Iran War

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Tuesday that the US government “will review” its relationship with NATO following the end of the war against Iran. “I think there is no doubt, unfortunately, after this conflict ends, we must review that relationship. We must review NATO’s value in that alliance for our country,” Rubio told Fox News host Sean Hannity, as reported by AFP news agency on Wednesday (1/4/2026). He added that “ultimately” it would be a decision for President Donald Trump. The top US diplomat said that he had been “one of the strongest defenders of NATO” while in the US Senate because he “found great value in it.” Much of that value lay in the existence of military bases in Europe that allow the US military “to project power to various parts of the world,” Rubio said. “If we have now reached a point where the NATO alliance means we cannot use those bases, that in fact we can no longer use those bases to defend American interests, then NATO is a one-way street,” he added. Rubio said that although Washington did not ask NATO allies to conduct airstrikes as part of the war against Iran, “when we needed them to allow us to use their military bases, their answer was ‘No?’ Then why are we in NATO? You have to ask that question.” Rubio’s comments come after several European countries restricted the US military from using military bases in their territories. Earlier on the previous Tuesday, it was revealed that the Italian government had refused landing permission for US bomber aircraft en route to the Middle East for a combat mission. And on the previous Monday, Spain closed its airspace to US aircraft conducting missions against Iran.