The US is considering revising its stance on British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands due to London’s position on Iran.
An internal email from the Pentagon, reported by Reuters, indicates that the US was considering options to punish NATO allies who, in their view, did not support the war against Iran.
The email mentions a possible review of the Falkland Islands’ status. Among the options discussed was also a proposal to seek the suspension of Spain’s NATO membership.
Responding to questions about these reports, a British government spokesperson stated:
“The Falkland Islands voted overwhelmingly to remain a British overseas territory, and we have always supported the islanders’ right to self-determination and the fact that sovereignty belongs to the United Kingdom.”
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister also emphasized that the government’s position is ‘absolutely clear’ and that “sovereignty belongs to the United Kingdom, and the islanders’ right to self-determination is paramount.”
BBC News contacted the Pentagon regarding the letter in question but was unable to access the document.
The Falkland Islands—a British overseas territory in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean—remain the subject of a territorial dispute between the United Kingdom and Argentina.
The long-standing conflict over the islands
The ten-week conflict in 1982 began after Argentine leader Leopoldo Galtieri ordered his forces to invade the islands.
The government of then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher dispatched a naval task force to retake them.
Argentine forces were defeated, but the country still claims sovereignty over the islands, which it calls the Malvinas.
During the conflict, 649 Argentine soldiers, 255 British soldiers, and three Falkland Islands residents were killed.
Although the White House has not yet commented on these reports, they could become another source of tension between the US and the UK amid diplomatic disagreements.
Donald Trump has previously stated that he is ‘dissatisfied’ with the level of support from the UK in the war against Iran, while Sir Keir Starmer has repeatedly emphasized that Britain will not be drawn into a broader conflict.
The overwhelming majority of Falkland Islands residents express a desire that the Falkland islands remained a British territory.
In the 2013 referendum, out of 1,650 voters, only three voted against retaining the status of an overseas territory, with a turnout of over 90%.
During the Falklands War in 1982, the administration of then-US President Ronald Reagan attempted to take a balanced stance by proposing a joint US-Brazilian peacekeeping force to control the islands, despite the White House’s close ties to the Thatcher government.
