PANews reported on April 9th, citing the Wall Street Journal, that US government officials revealed the Trump administration is considering a plan to punish some NATO members it believes did not support the US and Israel during the Iran war. The proposal includes withdrawing US troops from non-supporting NATO members and redeploying them to countries more supportive of US military operations. This proposal is far less serious than Trump's recent threats to completely withdraw the US from NATO; without congressional approval, Trump has no authority to withdraw. The plan has been circulating and gaining support among senior government officials in recent weeks and is currently in its initial conceptual stage, one of several plans the White House is discussing to punish NATO. The White House previously stated that Trump believes NATO has failed the "test" and will discuss withdrawal with Rutte. According to two government officials, in addition to redeploying troops, the plan may also include closing US military bases in at least one European country, possibly Spain or Germany. Countries such as Poland, Romania, Lithuania, and Greece may benefit as they are seen as supporters. The plan could lead to more US troops being deployed closer to the Russian border, potentially angering Moscow.