Trump threatens to withdraw troops from Germany after Chancellor says US 'humiliated' by Iran
In 2025, just under 35,000 US troops were stationed in Germany, more than half of all active-duty American troops based in Europe
President Donald Trump has threatened to remove American troops from Germany after the Chancellor said the US was being "humiliated" by Iran.
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The US President took to social media to say that his country is reviewing a "possible reduction" of troops in Germany and that decisions will be made shortly.
In 2025, just under 35,000 US troops were stationed in Germany, more than half of all active-duty American troops based in Europe.
Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social: "The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time."
It comes after the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told a group of students that the Iranian negotiators are "very skilled" and they are humiliating "an entire nation".
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Mr Trump called off peace talks with Iran in Islamabad over the weekend, where envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had been due to meet Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi to continue the negotiations in an effort to end the war in the Middle East and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Chancellor Merz said: "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.
"An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards. And so I hope that this ends as quickly as possible."
Germany has become the latest NATO country to come under fire from the US President for criticising the war with Iran.
Trump has been critical of Prime Minister Keir Starmer for not sending troops out to the Middle East to support the war.
Among the options reportedly being considered by the United States in response to this is reassessing US diplomatic support for “imperial possessions” attached to Europe, including the Falkland Islands.
He has, however, praised King Charles, saying that if it were up to him "he would have probably helped us with Iran”.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said on the issue: "The King is naturally mindful of his government’s long-standing and well-known position on the prevention of nuclear proliferation."