U.S. President Donald Trump said he would reduce U.S. troops stationed in Germany. After a public clash with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the Iran war, he immediately pulled out a troop reduction card targeting a key ally.
Trump said in a statement posted on his Truth Social account on the 29th (local time) that "the United States is looking into and reviewing the possibility of reducing the forces in Germany," adding, "a decision will be made within a short period going forward." He did not mention the scale of the reduction or the specific timeline for implementation.
The prevailing view is that the review of troop cuts is a retaliatory step against the German government's uncooperative stance on the armed conflict with Iran. The assessment is that Trump made it clear he would touch forces at key European bases not far from the battlefield, even as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have peaked, if they do not help U.S. military operations.
Earlier, Chancellor Merz called the recent U.S. military operation "reckless" and sharply criticized that "the United States is being humiliated by Iran's negotiating tactics." Merz said, "With conflicts like this, the point is not just to enter but to get out again," citing the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as failures.
In response, Trump on the 28th said, "Chancellor Merz of Germany thinks it is fine for Iran to have nuclear weapons," adding, "He does not know what he is talking about." He continued, "If Iran has nuclear weapons, the whole world will be taken hostage," arguing that the U.S. military operation is justified.
Since the resumption of armed conflict, Trump has consistently taken issue with European allies not directly joining the war or using force to help open the strait. Experts said Trump is likely to use core security assets as leverage to discipline allies in conflict with him, and that the operating posture of U.S. forces deployed around the world could swing widely. As he reveals a policy of strictly prioritizing national security and interests, concerns are growing that the ripple effects of this situation could extend to the size of other overseas deployments, including U.S. Forces Korea.