President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States is reviewing a possible cut in the number of American troops stationed in Germany.
He posted the statement on Truth Social hours after a public clash with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the current conflict with Iran.
“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,” Trump said on April 29.
The announcement came after Merz sharply criticized the Trump administration’s approach to Iran and stalled efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The narrow waterway carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply. Disruptions there have pushed up energy prices across Europe.
Merz told students in Germany on Monday that Iran had proven stronger than expected in the conflict. He said the United States lacked a clear strategy in the negotiations.
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“The Iranians are clearly stronger than expected, and the Americans clearly have no truly convincing strategy in the negotiations either,” Merz said.
He added that “a whole nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership,” pointing to the Revolutionary Guards.
Merz noted that U.S. officials had traveled to places such as Islamabad for talks but had returned without results.
Germany has offered to send minesweepers to help clear the strait once fighting ends, but it stressed the need for a workable exit plan.
Trump fired back on Truth Social, accusing Merz of thinking it was acceptable for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.
He said the German leader did not know what he was talking about and criticized Germany’s economy.
About 36,000 U.S. troops are currently based in Germany, according to the latest Defense Department figures.
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Germany hosts the largest American military presence in Europe. Key sites include Ramstein Air Base, the largest U.S. air base outside America, and the headquarters of U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command.
These bases support operations across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. They provide logistics, medical care, and the capability for swift deployment.
American forces have been in Germany since the end of World War II. Numbers peaked at more than 250,000 during the Cold War to deter the Soviet Union. The total dropped sharply after 1989 but remained substantial due to NATO’s needs.
Trump has long argued that Germany and other NATO allies fail to spend enough on their own defense.
During his first term, he pushed for a major troop drawdown from Germany, but those plans were later put on hold.
He has repeatedly said European countries should pay a fairer share for the U.S. military umbrella that protects the continent.
Any actual reduction would affect NATO’s overall strength. Eastern European members, in particular, have urged the United States to keep a solid presence near Russia.
A smaller U.S. footprint could also limit America’s ability to respond quickly to crises in the Middle East.
Trump’s fallout with Merz
The current friction shows deeper strains inside the Western alliance. The Iran conflict has raised energy costs and exposed differences between Washington and Berlin over the best way forward.
Merz’s comments marked one of the bluntest public rebukes from a major NATO ally in recent memory.
Trump’s post did not give details on how many troops might leave or which bases could be affected. Officials in both Washington and Berlin had no immediate further comment on possible subsequent steps.
The review comes at a time when global energy markets remain tense because of the blocked shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz.
Higher fuel prices have added pressure on European economies already facing other challenges. It is not yet clear when the Iran-U.S. war will end. Recent talks between the two nations failed to yield a deal that would have marked the end of the war.
