Israel suspended all defense procurement from France on Tuesday and halted existing contracts, escalating a diplomatic rupture triggered by Paris’s refusal to allow US military aircraft carrying supplies for Israel to transit French airspace — the latest flashpoint in a growing divide between Washington and its NATO allies over the Iran war.
Major General Amir Baram cited the move as part of a broader Israeli policy to reduce defense cooperation with countries it assessed as having acted against its interests. The Jerusalem Post reported that France’s airspace refusal was “the straw that broke the camel’s back,” pointing to a pattern of tension stretching back to Paris’s decision to halt military aid to Israel during the Gaza war and its support for Palestinian statehood recognition at the UN.
The Élysée Palace said its position on US military overflights remained unchanged.
France is not alone. Spain closed its airspace to US jets Monday and blocked access to jointly operated bases. Italy denied US military aircraft permission to land at a base in Sicily. Poland said it had no plans to relocate its Patriot batteries after reports the US had suggested Warsaw consider sending a system to the Middle East.
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Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles put Madrid’s position plainly: “Neither the bases are authorized, nor, of course, is the use of Spanish airspace authorized for any actions related to the war in Iran,” adding that the conflict was “profoundly illegal and profoundly unjust.”
The UK took a narrower line — Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially rejected Trump’s request for base access, then allowed the US to use British installations for what he called “limited defensive action.”
Trump responded on social media, singling out France. “The U.S.A. will REMEMBER,” he wrote. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered the sharpest warning, telling Al Jazeera: “If NATO is just about us defending Europe if they’re attacked, but then denying us basing rights when we need them, that’s not a very good arrangement. So all of that is going to have to be reexamined.”
He later told Fox News the US would formally reassess the value of the alliance once the war ends.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte acknowledged the frustration while offering partial cover for the Europeans.
“The U.S. was not able to consult with allies because they wanted to keep the campaign secret,” Rutte said at a March 26 press conference. “But that also had the disadvantage that it takes time for the Europeans to get organized.” He noted that more than 30 countries had since joined discussions on securing maritime passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Related: Trump Says US Is ‘Strongly Considering’ NATO Exit After Allies Refuse to Back Iran War
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