Peter Rough, director for Europe at the Hudson Institute, accused Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of using NATO and the conflict in Iran for political gain. The debate at the La Toja Forum in Lisbon also featured Augusto Santos Silva, who criticised the US for its unpredictable stance on the alliance and its demands for increased European defence spending.
Pedro Sánchez is "playing politics" with NATO and the war in Iran
Wednesday, 29 April 2026RSS
Context & Explainers
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Organização do Tratado do Atlântico Norte or OTAN) is a 32-member alliance facing pressure to intervene in the Strait of Hormuz to secure maritime routes. Disagreement among members regarding this military involvement has led to warnings about the organization's future stability. Portugal has been a member since NATO's founding in 1949 and hosts a major Joint Force Command in Oeiras.
