Rubio Questions NATO's Purpose After Allies Blocked U.S. Base Access During Iran Conflict

Senator Marco Rubio on Tuesday questioned the fundamental purpose of NATO, stating that several allies blocked the United States from utilizing military bases on their territory during a recent conflict with Iran.

"If we can't use our base when we have a contingency, what's the point of having the base and, frankly, the point of the alliance?" Rubio asked during an appearance on "Fox & Friends."

Rubio, who identified himself as a long-standing supporter of NATO, argued that access to bases across Europe has historically been a key strategic advantage for the U.S., enabling American forces to project power globally. "I've been a strong supporter of NATO my entire career," he said.

He added that the ability to use allied bases was one of NATO's "biggest benefits to the United States." "If that's going to be denied to us, then we've lost the biggest reason for us to be in NATO. That's the point we've raised."

While Rubio did not name the specific countries that denied access, reports indicate that Italy, Spain, and France imposed restrictions on U.S. military operations during the conflict with Iran. Italy reportedly denied U.S. bombers landing rights at Naval Air Station Sigonella in Sicily, and Spain closed its airspace to U.S. planes involved in the operations. France also restricted some U.S. military flights carrying supplies to Israel.

Rubio acknowledged that some NATO countries have contributed more than others but expressed disappointment with the overall situation. "I hope we've crossed a point where that [resistance from NATO countries] is no longer going to happen. I think we've had more cooperation lately from a number of countries in NATO, so that is positive, but we're still very disappointed."