Trump threatens to withdraw troops from Germany

Donald Trump has threatened to remove US troops from Germany after the country's chancellor said America was being "humiliated" by Iran.

The president posted on Truth Social he was "reviewing the possible reduction of troops [...] with a determination to be made over the next short period of time".

More than half of the just over 68,000 active-duty military personnel the US has based in Europe are in Germany, data from the US Defense Manpower Data Center shows.

It comes just days after Friedrich Merz suggested Mr Trump's team were being made to look foolish in their ceasefire negotiations with Tehran.

Iran war: Follow the latest updates

What did Merz say?

Speaking on Monday, Mr Merz suggested the US had not put enough thought into an exit strategy for the war.

"The problem with conflicts like these is always the same: it's not just about getting in; you also have to get out," the chancellor said. "We saw that all too painfully in Afghanistan, for 20 years. We saw it in Iraq."

"Especially since the Iranians are negotiating very skilfully – or rather, very skilfully not negotiating," he added.

"And then letting the Americans travel to Islamabad, only to send them back without any results. An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards."

Efforts to end the conflict since a two-week pause was declared earlier this month have hit an impasse, with both sides exchanging threats and the Strait of Hormuz still closed.

A first round of peace talks between the US and Iran, hosted by Pakistan, failed to move the needle. Mr Trump later cancelled planned trips by vice president JD Vance and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as the Iranian side questioned whether the Americans were serious about negotiating.

Mr Trump's traditional European allies have not been shy of criticising the war, which has had a huge impact on the global economy. The price of oil hit a wartime high on Wednesday.

Angered by the lack of support, notably from the UK, Mr Trump has repeatedly lashed out – further straining relations within the NATO military alliance. Relations had already been soured by the US president's threats against Canada and Greenland and downplaying of the role of allied troops in the post-9/11 wars in the Middle East.

Mr Trump has also repeatedly said he's considering quitting NATO altogether.

Mr Merz has insisted relations with the US remain strong, but his defence officials have been discussing plans for Germany's first military strategy outside the NATO umbrella since the Second World War.

(c) Sky News 2026: Trump threatens to withdraw troops from Germany