More information about Iceland is available on the Iceland Page and from other Department of State publications and other sources listed at the end of this fact sheet.

U.S.-ICELAND RELATIONS

The United States was the first country to recognize Iceland’s independence in 1944 following Danish rule. Iceland is a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) but has no standing military of its own. The United States and Iceland signed a bilateral defense agreement in 1951; it remains in force, although U.S. military forces are no longer permanently stationed in Iceland.

The U.S.-Icelandic relationship is founded on cooperation and mutual support. The two countries share a commitment to individual freedom, human rights, and democracy. U.S. policy aims to maintain close, cooperative relations with Iceland, both as a NATO allyand as a friend interested in the shared objectives of enhancing international cooperation on pressing global issues; respect for human rights; economic development; arms control; and law enforcement cooperation, including the fight against terrorism, narcotics, and human trafficking. The United States and Iceland work together on a wide range of issues from fighting ISIS, to enhancing peace and stability in Afghanistan, to harnessing new green energy sources, to ensuring peaceful cooperation in the Arctic.

U.S. Assistance to Iceland

The 1951 bilateral defense agreement stipulated that the U.S. would make arrangements for Iceland’s defense on behalf of NATO and provided for basing rights for U.S. forces in Iceland. In 2006 the U.S. announced it would continue to provide for Iceland’s defense but without permanently basing forces in the country. That year,