Overview
- U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly rebuked some NATO allies on Thursday for refusing requests to use European bases and ports to strike Iranian targets, calling the refusals "shameful" and accusing wealthy partners of free riding.
- Hegseth said the Pentagon will carry out a review of U.S. forces and bases in Europe that could take up to six months and said some countries may not "pass" the review if they do not meet expectations.
- The administration outlined a "NATO 3.0" approach that would condition U.S. annual contributions and wartime force commitments on allies meeting higher defence‑spending targets and on granting operational access when requested.
- Italy’s defence minister, Guido Crosetto, defended Rome’s multi‑year spending plan as a credible path and urged resumption of missed increases, while Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said the government is handling timing and implementation.
- The dispute underscores how domestic budget rules and political constraints can delay allied spending and how limits on base access could prompt cuts in U.S. wartime assets in Europe and shift more conventional defence responsibility to European states.