Editing History of Iceland (section)

===NATO membership, US defense agreement, and the Cold War===
{{Further|Iceland in the Cold War|Keflav%C3%ADk Air Base}}
[[File:Two F-15A Eagles from the 199th Fighter Squadron at Naval Air Station Keflavik.jpg|thumb|United States F-15 fighter jets at [[Keflavík Air Base]].]]
In October 1946, the Icelandic and United States governments agreed to terminate U.S. responsibility for the defense of Iceland, but the United States retained certain rights at [[Keflavík]], such as the right to re-establish a military presence there, should war threaten.

Iceland became a charter member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ([[NATO]]) on 30 March 1949, with the reservation that it would never take part in offensive action against another nation. The membership came amid an [[1949 anti-NATO riot in Iceland|anti-NATO riot in Iceland]]. After the outbreak of the [[Korean War]] in 1950, and pursuant to the request of NATO military authorities, the United States and Iceland agreed that the United States should again take responsibility for Iceland's defense. This agreement, signed on 5 May 1951, was the authority for the controversial U.S. military presence in Iceland, which remained until 2006. The U.S. base served as a hub for transports and communications to Europe, a key chain in the [[GIUK gap]], a monitor of Soviet submarine activity, and a linchpin in the early warning system for incoming Soviet attacks and interceptor of Soviet reconnaissance bombers.<ref>{{Cite journal
| url = https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2016-02-24/return-keflavik-station
| title = Return to Keflavik Station
| journal = Foreign Affairs
| access-date = 25 February 2016
| date = 24 February 2016
| last1 = Winger
| first1 = Gregory
| last2 = Petursson
| first2 = Gustav
}}</ref>
Although U.S. forces no longer maintain a military presence in Iceland, the U.S. still assumes responsibility over the country's defense through NATO.  Iceland has retained strong ties to the other [[Nordic countries]]. As a consequence, Norway, Denmark, Germany, and other European nations have increased their defense and rescue cooperation with Iceland since the withdrawal of U.S. forces.

According to a 2018 study in the ''[[Scandinavian Journal of History]]'', Iceland benefited massively from its relationship with the United States during the Cold War. The United States provided extensive economic patronage, advocated on Iceland's behalf in international organizations, allowed Iceland to violate the rules of international organizations, and helped Iceland to victory in the Cod Wars.<ref name=":15" /> Despite this, the relationship with the United States was contentious in Icelandic domestic politics, leaving some scholars to describe Iceland as a "rebellious ally" and "reluctant ally."<ref name=":17">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r6irpwAACAAJ|title=The Rebellious Ally: Iceland, the United States, and the Politics of Empire 1945–2006|last=Ingimundarson|first=Valur|date=2011|publisher=Republic of Letters|isbn=978-9089790699|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=L.|first=G.|date=1956|title=Iceland: Reluctant Ally|jstor=40392924|journal=The World Today|volume=12|issue=8|pages=321–30}}</ref> Iceland repeatedly threatened to leave NATO or cancel the US defence agreement during the Cold War, which is one reason why the United States went to great lengths to please the Icelanders.<ref name=":17" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Steinsson|first=Sverrir|date=1 July 2017|title=Neoclassical Realism in the North Atlantic: Explaining Behaviors and Outcomes in the Cod Wars|journal=Foreign Policy Analysis|language=en|volume=13|issue=3|pages=599–617|doi=10.1093/fpa/orw062|issn=1743-8586}}</ref>