Trump says US may cut number of troops in Germany, amid spat with chancellor over Iran

By Jacob Magid

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30 April 2026, 1:12 am

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Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

US President Donald Trump announces on Truth Social that his administration “is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time.”

The announcement comes amid a public spat between Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the US-Israel war against Iran.

Merz said the Iranians were humiliating the United States in talks to end the war, leading Trump to claim that the chancellor “thinks it’s okay for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”

There are currently about 35,000 active-duty US military personnel stationed in Germany, more than any other country in Europe.