The US is considering reducing the number of American troops stationed in Germany, US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday, days after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said America was “humiliated” by Iran, reports The Guardian.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, the US president said his administration is “currently studying and considering the possibility of a reduction in military forces in Germany, and a decision will be made very soon.”
On Monday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested that the Trump team was outmatched in negotiations with Iran to secure an end to the Gulf conflict and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Merz said “the Americans clearly have no strategy” in Iran and added that Tehran was out to “humiliate” the United States.
“The Iranians are clearly stronger than expected and the Americans obviously have no really convincing strategy in the negotiations,” Merz said during a visit to a school in Marsberg, a town in his home region of Sauerland.
Merz reiterated his criticism on Wednesday, saying Europe was “suffering” from the consequences of closing the strait.
In response, Donald Trump criticized the German chancellor, accusing Truth Social of “not knowing what he's talking about” regarding Iran.
“German Chancellor Friedrich Merz thinks it's OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon. He doesn't know what he's talking about!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
Trump's NATO threats
On April 1, Trump said he was “without question” considering withdrawing from NATO over the European allies' refusal to get involved in the US-Israeli war against Iran and help secure the economically vital Strait of Hormuz.
Such a move by the US administration would be catastrophic for European security, but is considered unlikely due to US legislation passed in 2024 that prevents a president from withdrawing from NATO without a two-thirds majority in the Senate or an act of Congress, The Guardian notes.
Experts have suggested that the US could instead take steps that undermine the alliance but fall short of a full withdrawal. Such a scenario could involve the withdrawal of US troops from Europe by Trump.
The United States has more than 68,000 troops on active duty in Europe, according to data provided by the US Military Manpower Data Center (DMDC).
Germany hosts the largest contingent, with more than 35,000 troops in 2024, according to the Congressional Research Service. The German press estimates a higher number of around 50,000.
Trump has consistently criticized NATO during his two terms, accusing its members of “robbing” the US by not allocating adequate funds to their defense budgets.
