Nato has said there is no mechanism for suspending or expelling member states from the alliance, following a report that the United States could seek to suspend Spain over its stance on the Iran conflict, reports BBC.

Reuters reported that a US official said an internal Pentagon email had outlined possible measures to penalise allies it believed had failed to support its campaign.

The email also reportedly suggested reviewing the US position on the UK’s claim to the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, which are also claimed by Argentina.

A Nato official told the BBC that the alliance’s founding treaty “does not foresee any provision for the suspension or expulsion of Nato members”.

Spain’s prime minister has also dismissed the report.