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Akbar Novruz

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United States President Donald Trump said the administration is weighing a possible cut in American troop levels stationed in Germany. He stated that a decision will be reached "over the next short period of time", AzerNEWS reports.

The move comes after Trump criticised German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday, accusing him of supporting Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Germany hosts one of the largest US deployments in Europe and has long been central to NATO operations, an alliance Trump recently threatened to pull the US out of.

On Monday, Friedrich Merz suggested the Trump team was being outplayed in its negotiations with Iran to secure an end to the ongoing war and a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

“The Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating, or rather, very skilful at not negotiating, letting the Americans travel to Islamabad and then leave again without any result,” the German chancellor said.

Merz reiterated his criticisms on Wednesday, saying Europe was “suffering” from the consequences of the closure of the strait.

Trump cancelled a second trip by US negotiators to Islamabad last week. Since then, discussions over Iran’s nuclear programme and the Strait of Hormuz have hit an impasse.

Trump on Tuesday accused Merz of thinking it’s “OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon” and said the chancellor “doesn’t know what he’s talking about!”

On Wednesday, Merz responded to comments regarding President Trump by stating that their relationship remains "as good as ever." However, the president's threat to withdraw U.S. troops could raise concerns in Berlin and across Europe. This comes at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and its traditional allies in Europe, during which Trump has increased his threats to pull out of the NATO alliance.

On April 1, Trump stated he was "absolutely without question" considering a withdrawal from NATO due to European allies' failure to participate in the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran and to help secure the economically vital Strait of Hormuz.

Such a move by the U.S. administration would be catastrophic for Europe's security, but it is considered unlikely. This is because of legislation passed in 2024 that prevents a president from withdrawing from NATO without a two-thirds majority in the Senate or an act of Congress.