(SeaPRwire) – The chancellor infuriated the White House through his criticism of the Iran war
US President Donald Trump has stated that he may withdraw some American military personnel deployed in Germany amid an ongoing public rift with Chancellor Friedrich Merz regarding the Iran war.
“The United States is conducting assessments and reviews of potential troop cuts in Germany, with a final decision to be made in the near future,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Wednesday.
In 2020, as his first presidential term neared its end, Trump planned to pull roughly 12,000 of the approximately 36,000 service members stationed in Germany at that time. Former President Joe Biden later deployed additional troops to Germany, pointing to the Ukraine conflict as justification.
Over 36,000 active-duty troops and 1,500 reservists are currently stationed at bases across Germany, per CBS reporting.
Trump has rebuked European allies for refusing to support the US-Israeli conflict with Iran and declining to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran closed to “hostile” maritime traffic in February. The conflict has also led the president to revive his longstanding criticism of NATO, which he described this month as “a paper tiger.”
Speaking to students at a German school on Monday, Merz argued that the US was being “humiliated” by Iran and that the Trump administration lacked a clear strategy for the conflict. He also emphasized that Germany was being severely impacted by energy price hikes caused by the war.
Trump responded by scolding Merz on social media. “He has no idea what he is talking about!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding: “No wonder Germany is performing so poorly, both economically and in other areas!”
Merz attempted to downplay the feud on Wednesday, saying his personal relationship with the US president “remains good.”
“I simply had doubts right from the start about the actions launched with the war in Iran. That is why I have made my stance clear,” Merz said, as cited by Reuters.
Meanwhile, oil prices climbed above $120 on Wednesday, the highest level recorded since 2022, as uncertainty continues around the prospects for US-Iranian negotiations.
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