Trump threatens to reduce troop numbers in Germany amid growing row with Nato allies

The US may reduce its number of troops deployed in Germany, Donald Trump has announced, days after the country’s chancellor said America was being “humiliated” by Iran.

On Monday, Friedrich Merz suggested the Trump team was being outplayed in its negotiations with Iran to secure an end to the ongoing war and a reopening of the strait of Hormuz. “The Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating, or rather, very skilful at not negotiating, letting the Americans travel to Islamabad and then leave again without any result,” the German chancellor said. He also reiterated his criticisms on Wednesday, saying Europe was “suffering” from the consequences of the closure of the strait.

Trump had also cancelled a second trip by US negotiators to Islamabad last week, causing discussions over Iran’s nuclear programme and the strait of Hormuz have hit an impasse. He also accused Merz on Tuesday of thinking it’s “OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon” and said the chancellor “doesn’t know what he’s talking about!” In a post on his Truth Social platform as a response, the US president said his administration was “studying and reviewing the possible reduction of troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time”.

This isn’t the first time Trump has been threatening to withdraw support from NATO members since April 1st, because of the European allies’ failure to take part in the US-Israeli war on Iran and help secure the economically vital strait of Hormuz. Such a move from the US administration would be catastrophic for the security of Europe, but is seen as unlikely because of US legislation passed in 2024 that prevents a president from withdrawing from Nato without a two-thirds Senate majority or an act of Congress. Experts have suggested the White House could instead take actions that undermine the alliance but fall short of an outright withdrawal.