Defense

Trump troop threats to Europe fail to move the needle on Iran

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by Ellen Mitchell - 05/12/26 6:00 AM ET

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by Ellen Mitchell - 05/12/26 6:00 AM ET

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President Trump’s snap decision to pull 5,000 U.S. troops out of Germany isn’t moving the needle in pushing European nations to enter the U.S. war in Iran or help Washington reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump’s move – which came amid an escalating dispute with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz – has only reinforced European nations’ plans to take care of their own security rather than capitulate to Trump’s demands.

The allies, weary of Trump’s constant threats to withdraw U.S. forces from the European continent entirely and smarting from the economic fallout of the Iran war, appear to have carried on with business as usual, according to experts and country leaders themselves.

“The Europeans are trying to find ways to contribute, certainly to resolving or to reopen the Strait of Hormuz once there is a broader settlement, but that’s driven by their own interests. They’re not being impacted by the troop withdrawal from President Trump,” said Jörn Fleck, the senior director with the Europe Center at the Atlantic Council think tank.

The U.S. has most troops in Europe stationed in Italy, in Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland and Germany – with the latter housing the most at roughly 36,000 U.S. service members. The country is home to the Ramstein Air Base, the largest American military site on the continent and the headquarters for U.S. Air Force in Europe.

The military bases serve as information and logistical hubs, supporting American military efforts outside the continent, such as the U.S. war in Iran, and serving as a deterrent to Russia.

But Trump, frustrated by NATO allies’ failure to support the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran – namely by withholding the use of their bases or airspace for the operation or failing to send their ships to help open the Strait of Hormuz – has railed against the countries, which he accused of being “cowards.”

Trump earlier this month said he would “probably” remove American troops from Spain and Italy as Rome has “not been of any help to us,” and Madrid has been “absolutely horrible.” Spain and Italy have denied U.S. military planes taking part in the Iran war from using their bases.

And after Merz said that the U.S. “is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership,” and called the war “ill-considered to say the least,” Trump responded by announcing the U.S. troop reduction in Germany, with threats to possibly withdraw more.

The response has been measured rather than apologetic.

“I think the Germans have been at pains to suggest that they expected something like this. It’s a relatively small number of U.S. troops, and they will continue to step up themselves and try to fill the gaps,” Fleck said. “That’s the official approach, but I think underneath that, there is a real frustration.”

Wary of Trump’s loyalty to the NATO alliance, Germany along with the rest of Europe has steadily increased its defense spending, cognizant of the U.S. desire to hand off defenses of the continent.

Last month Berlin released its first military strategy since World War II, identifying Russia as the primary threat and setting a goal to have the strongest army in Europe by 2039.

“The spat between Trump and Merz and then the troop withdrawal, it will just reinforce European determination and European efforts to reduce vulnerabilities, to develop European capabilities and to drive forward European sovereignty efforts,” Fleck said. I “I think this very latest episode will just sort of accelerate or intensify that determination.”

NATO spokeswoman Allison Hart said in a statement that the alliance was “working with the U.S. to understand the details of their decision,” and that the withdrawal “underscores the need for Europe to continue to invest more in defense and take on a greater share of the responsibility for our shared security.”

And Finnish President Alexander Stubb on Monday called on Europe to “calm down and lower the temperature” insisting the U.S. “will not withdraw from Europe,” according to Italian outlet Corriere della Sera.

“If they want to project their power into regions like the Middle East, Asia, Africa, they need to have a solid foundation here,” Stubb said.

He also disputed the idea that Europe would be defenseless should Washington completely pull out, arguing: “If we can defend ourselves [against Russa], NATO can do it too.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also tried to downplay the planned withdrawal last week saying troops represent less than 14 per