President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States is reviewing a possible reduction of its military presence in Germany, escalating a spat with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz tied to the U.S.-Israel military campaign against Iran.
Trump posted on social media that a decision on cutting troops in Germany would be made “over the next short period of time.” The announcement followed remarks this week by Merz, who said Iran was “humiliating” the United States and criticized Washington for lacking a clear strategy in the confrontation. Trump has frequently faulted NATO allies for not doing more as the conflict has continued for about two months.
Merz, speaking Wednesday, said his personal rapport with Trump remained strong but reiterated that he had reservations from the outset about the actions that led to the conflict with Iran. During Trump’s first term, he also pushed to reduce the U.S. footprint in Germany, arguing Berlin did not spend enough on defense. In June 2020, Trump announced plans to withdraw roughly 9,500 of about 34,500 U.S. troops stationed in Germany; that drawdown never proceeded, and President Joe Biden formally stopped the plan after taking office in 2021.
Germany hosts significant U.S. military infrastructure, including the headquarters for U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command, Ramstein Air Base and Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, the largest U.S. hospital outside the United States.
Merz met with Trump at the White House in March, days after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran began. He told reporters then that Germany wants to collaborate with the United States on planning for a period after the current Iranian government and warned that a prolonged conflict could inflict severe damage on the global economy.
European leaders have voiced growing worry as the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil route that carried about 20% of the world’s oil before the fighting, has been largely closed since Feb. 28. “We are suffering considerably in Germany and in Europe from the consequences, for example, of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” Merz said Wednesday, urging a resolution to the conflict and noting his government remains in regular contact with the U.S. administration.
Trump has publicly criticized Merz, tweeting Tuesday that the German chancellor “thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” and adding that Germany’s economic struggles were not surprising.